Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving tech development unit, has initiated a voluntary software recall following an incident last month in which one of its driverless vehicles struck a telephone pole in Phoenix, Arizona. The incident caused vehicle damage but no injuries.

The recall affected all 672 driverless-capable vehicles in Waymo's fleet to address a software error that underestimated the damage to obstacles like telephone poles and to improve the mapping of specific road features.

The company has already updated software over-the-air (OTA), and the vehicles remain operational once the new software and maps are loaded.

Analyst QuickTake: In response to increasing regulatory scrutiny and public concern over the safety of autonomous vehicles, especially after several incidents, these prompt actions are necessary for self-driving tech companies like Waymo to expand operations further. This action marks Waymo's second recall, the first in response to two minor collisions in February, which also involved an OTA software fix.