By David Shepardson

(Reuters) – Alphabet (NASDAQ:)’s Waymo unit has recalled 444 self-driving automobiles after two minor collisions in fast succession in Arizona as a result of a software program error might lead to them inaccurately predicting the motion of a towed automobile.

The entire automobiles are within the firm’s possession and had software program updates final month.

Waymo mentioned in a submitting Thursday with the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) that in December one among its autonomous automobiles working in Phoenix, Arizona made contact with a “pickup truck being towed backwards and at an angle relative to the towing automobile.”

The towing automobile was “improperly touring straight

within the center shared flip lane and the pickup truck being towed was partially occupying the journey lane instantly to the proper of the center shared flip lane.”

The Waymo AV was in the identical journey lane as a

portion of the towed pickup truck when the entrance left of the Waymo AV made contact with the pickup truck, the corporate mentioned.

Waymo mentioned that a number of minutes later “a second Waymo AV made contact with the identical off-angle towed pickup truck, which

had continued after the primary contact and was nonetheless occupying a number of lanes.”

The 2 occasions had been each at low relative speeds. Neither collision resulted in accidents, Waymo mentioned.

Waymo met with NHTSA on the problem on 4 separate events beginning on Dec. 15 and most not too long ago final week.

Waymo mentioned it “fastidiously thought of factors raised by NHTSA in these discussions.”

Waymo’s Security Board mentioned because of the distinctive traits of the collisions that it” warranted submitting this report back to NHTSA to satisfy related notification obligations.”

The recall announcement comes days after a crowd vandalized and set fireplace to a Waymo self-driving automobile utilizing a firework in San Francisco, marking probably the most harmful assault to this point on driverless automobiles in america.

California lawmakers and labor unions rallied on Monday to name for legal guidelines to not permit autonomous vehicles with out human drivers, amid rising security issues after accidents.

Individually, NHTSA mentioned electrical automaker Lucid Group (NASDAQ:) recalled 189 of its Air automobiles to repair a software program challenge that would have resulted in lack of drive energy.

Waymo and Lucid didn’t reply to Reuters requests for remark.