Waymo, the self-driving tech development unit of Google's parent company, Alphabet, has initiated a voluntary recall of the software in its robotaxi fleet and updated it due to two incidents in Phoenix, Arizona. This marks the company's first recall.

The said incidents that occurred last December involved two robotaxis colliding with the same towed pickup truck, as the vehicles were unable to predict the motion of a towed vehicle correctly. The accidents, described as minor and occurring without passengers onboard, did not result in any injuries.

The company has developed and deployed a software update to address the issue, completing the rollout to all robotaxis by mid-January.

Analyst QuickTake: The recall occurs amid increasing scrutiny over self-driving vehicles, highlighted by recent controversies involving Waymo, including an incident where a robotaxi hit a cyclist and another vehicle was vandalized in San Francisco. Additionally, competitor General Motors (GM)-owned Cruise also paused operations after a controversial accident, leading to multiple government investigations.