{
 "schema_version": "0.4",
 "id": "REG-0013",
 "title": "Waymo vehicles enter freeway construction zones at least thirteen times; internal review, driving restrictions, and a recall of 3,871 vehicles, April to June 2026",
 "batch": "B1",
 "family": "physical",
 "context": {
  "domain": "Autonomous vehicle (driverless robotaxi)",
  "autonomy_level": "alone",
  "actor_type": "Physical: Waymo fleet on freeways",
  "actors": {
   "count": null,
   "text": "Fleet; 13 vehicle events",
   "roles": [
    "defender"
   ]
  },
  "mandate_context": "production",
  "jurisdiction": [
   "United States (NHTSA)"
  ],
  "autonomy_level_text": "Machine acts alone",
  "mandate_context_text": "Production service"
 },
 "provenance_tier": "public_regulatory",
 "status": "confirmed",
 "fields": [
  {
   "layer": "Mandate",
   "facet": "principal",
   "value": "Waymo",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Mandate",
   "facet": "objective",
   "value": "Freeway operation within the service area",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573",
    "TC-RETURN"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Actor",
   "facet": null,
   "value": "Waymo's fifth-generation automated driving system in vehicles capable of driverless freeway operation (3,871 vehicles)",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Inputs",
   "facet": null,
   "value": "Ramp-closure signs and cones around freeway construction; Waymo says the system prioritized other freeway hazards or did not recognize the construction zone",
   "assertion_type": "assertion",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Decision",
   "facet": null,
   "value": "Vehicles proceeded into closed zones: six events in April and seven in May, with the May review citing these and other events",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Envelope",
   "facet": "constraints",
   "value": "Construction zones should have been outside the operating envelope; the perception and planning stack did not enforce it reliably",
   "assertion_type": "interpretation",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573"
   ],
   "confidence": "medium",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Action",
   "facet": null,
   "value": "In April (Phoenix), driving past ramp-closure signs the vehicles did not recognize, into pre-planned freeway construction zones; in May (San Francisco Bay Area), driving into freeway lanes with active construction by passing between cones that marked a lane closure in the adjacent lane",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Outcome",
   "facet": null,
   "value": "State: averted by Waymo's own process, which acted after the events, not during them: no control is described as stopping any of the entries, and the reports do not say how the events ended or why none led to a collision. Freeway driving was restricted after the April events and again after the May events, and the software remedy reached all affected vehicles by 29 June 2026. The recall report describes no crash or injury, only an increased potential for collisions; a Waymo spokesperson said no injuries or collisions were reported (TechCrunch, 29 July 2026). As of Jul 2026.",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573",
    "NHTSA-573A",
    "TC-RETURN"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Evidence",
   "facet": "event",
   "value": "Waymo's own chronology in its recall report (17 June 2026) and amended report (2 July 2026): the events, Field Safety Committee reviews and freeway restrictions, Safety Board review and recall decision, then the remedy dates; NHTSA's acknowledgement letter records the interim freeway restriction",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573",
    "NHTSA-573A",
    "NHTSA-ACK"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Recovery",
   "facet": "automated fallback",
   "value": "Not described as a vehicle-level response: the recall reports do not say how any event ended or that any vehicle stopped or left the zone on its own. The remedy makes the vehicle reduce speed when it detects it may be in a construction zone, and Waymo's operational changes enable more remote assistance when a vehicle enters a freeway construction zone",
   "assertion_type": "interpretation",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573",
    "NHTSA-573A"
   ],
   "confidence": "medium",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Recovery",
   "facet": "technical",
   "value": "1. Waymo's Field Safety Committee began reviewing the April events on 20 April and met on 19 May after the May events; each review was followed by freeway driving restrictions, the first until operational mitigations for freeway closures were in place, the second until the root causes could be identified and addressed. On 21 May Waymo confirmed to TechCrunch that it had suspended freeway service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami, with surface streets still served. 2. Safety Board review on 1 June and a recall decision on 8 June. 3. Software remedy under a recall covering 3,871 vehicles, improving recognition of freeway construction zones and prioritizing them over other freeway hazards: updates began on 16 June and all driverless-capable vehicles had the remedy by 29 June 2026; freeway operations began resuming on 25 June (amended recall report, 2 July 2026), and on 29 July Waymo said it was gradually adding freeway routes back, starting in Phoenix (TechCrunch)",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573",
    "NHTSA-573A",
    "TC-HALT",
    "TC-RETURN"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  },
  {
   "layer": "Recovery",
   "facet": "accountability",
   "value": "Recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): the published report shows a submission date of 17 June 2026, and NHTSA's acknowledgement letter of the same day gives the manufacturer's report date as 12 June; amended report submitted 2 July 2026. The letter sets only the status reports the law requires (eight quarterly, then three annual); no enforcement action or investigation into this issue is recorded (searched to 20 October 2026)",
   "assertion_type": "fact",
   "source_ids": [
    "NHTSA-573",
    "NHTSA-573A",
    "NHTSA-ACK"
   ],
   "confidence": "high",
   "disputed": false
  }
 ],
 "controls": {
  "failed": [
   {
    "id": "C-E2",
    "note": "Construction-zone recognition was present and failed: the recall report says the system was 'failing to recognize the construction zone' or prioritizing other freeway hazards, and vehicles drove past ramp-closure signs into pre-planned zones. No hard limit fed by planned-closure data is evidenced before the events; the amended report adds operational changes to 'better identify and mitigate potential entry into pre-planned construction zones'",
    "confidence": "high",
    "basis": "curated"
   }
  ],
  "succeeded": [
   {
    "id": "C-R4",
    "note": "Waymo's Field Safety Committee began reviewing the April events on 20 April and met on 19 May, the day after the May events; each review was followed by freeway driving restrictions. The first lasted until operational mitigations for freeway closures were in place, and seven vehicles then entered active construction lanes on 18 May, in the San Francisco Bay Area and by a different cue (cones marking a closed adjacent lane); the report does not say where the April restriction applied or when it ended. The second restriction (freeway service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami, per Waymo's statement to TechCrunch on 21 May) held while the Safety Board reviewed the issue on 1 and 8 June and decided to recall; the software remedy reached all affected vehicles between 16 and 29 June and freeway operations began resuming on 25 June (amended report). The recall was filed with NHTSA",
    "confidence": "high",
    "basis": "curated"
   }
  ],
  "absent": []
 },
 "applicable_rules": [
  "NHTSA Standing General Order",
  "Part 573 recall process"
 ],
 "unmapped": [],
 "corrections": [
  {
   "date": "2026-10-13",
   "field": "controls.C-E2",
   "old": "failed: Construction-zone recognition; absent: Live construction-zone data feed enforced as a hard constraint (not evidenced)",
   "new": "failed: Construction-zone recognition; Live construction-zone data feed enforced as a hard constraint (not evidenced) (absent)",
   "reason": "a control has one state per case; entries in two states merged into the state the record supports"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-13",
   "field": "fields and sources",
   "old": "'no injuries reported'; 'restrictions on affected freeway segments'; 'no penalty'; recall cited as reported by TechCrunch",
   "new": "recall report linked directly; wording as the report states it; 'no enforcement action recorded'",
   "reason": "claims aligned to what each linked record says, found on review"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-13",
   "field": "outcome.state",
   "old": "harm",
   "new": "averted_by_control",
   "reason": "the recall report describes no crash or injury; Waymo's own reviews and restrictions caught the pattern before harm"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-13",
   "field": "fields",
   "old": "outcome 'harm'; recall filed 12 June; 'across the fleet'; April and May events described together; 'thirteen times'",
   "new": "no harm recorded; submitted 17 June; fifth-generation freeway-capable vehicles; events described separately; 'at least thirteen'",
   "reason": "independent check against the linked records before right-of-reply letters"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-14",
   "field": "reviewed_by",
   "old": "none",
   "new": "Saurabh Bhatnagar (editor)",
   "reason": "case checked by the editor against its linked records"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-14",
   "field": "named_parties[Waymo].right_of_reply",
   "old": "{\"offered\": null, \"response\": null}",
   "new": "{\"offered\": \"2026-10-14\", \"response\": null}",
   "reason": "right of reply offered by email from register@secureautonomous.com to press@waymo.com on 14 October 2026 (confirmed in the Sent folder); recorded at the editor's instruction"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-16",
   "field": "inference.value",
   "old": "The value of this case is the chronology: repeated minor events, an internal review body, restrictions before the fix, then a regulator-visible recall. It is the organizational recovery pattern the agent world has no equivalent for yet",
   "new": "The value of this case is the sequence: repeated minor events, an internal review, restrictions before the fix, then a recall the regulator could see. Software agents have no equivalent recovery process yet.",
   "reason": "Reworded for readers before the editor's sign-off, after an outside review found it read as internal notes; the interpretation itself is unchanged"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-16",
   "field": "controls",
   "old": "the same control listed more than once in one state",
   "new": "one entry per control, notes combined",
   "reason": "Found in an outside review of the published record on 16 October 2026: repeated entries showed the same control twice on the page"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "sources.NHTSA-573A",
   "old": null,
   "new": "{\"title\": \"Waymo LLC, Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26E035 (amended report, submission date 2 July 2026): remedy deployed and freeway operations resuming (3,871 vehicles)\", \"type\": \"regulator\", \"url\": \"https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E035-3773.pdf\", \"via_press\": false, \"date\": \"2026-07-02\", \"tier\": \"public_regulatory\", \"interest\": null, \"primary\": true, \"checked\": \"2026-10-20\"}",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: Waymo's amended recall report, submitted 2 July 2026 and published by NHTSA, was not cited; it gives the remedy ('Waymo began updating the ADS software on affected vehicles on 6/16/2026. By 6/29/2026, all vehicles capable of driverless operation received the remedy software') and 'Waymo began to resume freeway operations on 6/25/2026'"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "sources.NHTSA-ACK",
   "old": null,
   "new": "{\"title\": \"NHTSA, Recall Acknowledgement letter to Waymo LLC, Campaign 26E035: 'Software May Allow Vehicle to Enter and Drive In Freeway Construction Zones', 17 June 2026\", \"type\": \"regulator\", \"url\": \"https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCAK-26E035-6843.pdf\", \"via_press\": false, \"date\": \"2026-06-17\", \"tier\": \"public_regulatory\", \"interest\": null, \"primary\": true, \"checked\": \"2026-10-20\"}",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: NHTSA's acknowledgement letter of 17 June 2026 gives the manufacturer's report date as 12 June 2026, records that 'Waymo modified the scope of vehicle operations to restrict freeway driving', and sets the required quarterly and annual status reports"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "sources.TC-HALT",
   "old": null,
   "new": "{\"title\": \"TechCrunch, 'Waymo halts freeway rides after robotaxis struggle in construction zones' (Sean O'Kane), 21 May 2026\", \"type\": \"press_pointer\", \"url\": \"https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-halts-freeway-rides-after-robotaxis-struggle-in-construction-zones/\", \"via_press\": true, \"date\": \"2026-05-21\", \"tier\": \"press\", \"interest\": null, \"primary\": false, \"checked\": \"2026-10-20\"}",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: TechCrunch (21 May 2026) reports Waymo's confirmation that it 'has suspended robotaxi service on freeways in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Miami', with surface streets still served; the recall report says only 'freeway driving restrictions'"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "sources.TC-RETURN",
   "old": null,
   "new": "{\"title\": \"TechCrunch, 'Waymo robotaxis are starting to return to freeways' (Kirsten Korosec), 29 July 2026\", \"type\": \"press_pointer\", \"url\": \"https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/29/waymo-robotaxis-are-starting-to-return-to-freeways/\", \"via_press\": true, \"date\": \"2026-07-29\", \"tier\": \"press\", \"interest\": null, \"primary\": false, \"checked\": \"2026-10-20\"}",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: TechCrunch (29 July 2026) reports Waymo's statement that it was 'resuming freeway operations across its entire service area', starting with Phoenix, and a Waymo spokesperson's statement that there were 'no injuries or collisions reported'"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "sources.NHTSA-573.date",
   "old": "2026-06-12",
   "new": "2026-06-17",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the linked report reads 'Submission Date: Jun 17, 2026'; 12 June 2026 is the 'Mfr's Report Date' in NHTSA's acknowledgement letter (now recorded in the Recovery accountability field)"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "sources.NHTSA-573.checked",
   "old": "2026-10-13",
   "new": "2026-10-20",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the report was re-opened and read in full on 20 October 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Mandate objective.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"TC-RETURN\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the recall report says the vehicles are 'capable of driverless freeway operation' but does not mention a service area; Waymo's statement to TechCrunch (29 July 2026) speaks of 'freeway operations across its entire service area'"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Action.value",
   "old": "In April (Phoenix), driving past ramp-closure signs into pre-planned freeway construction zones; in May (San Francisco Bay Area), driving into freeway lanes with active construction",
   "new": "In April (Phoenix), driving past ramp-closure signs the vehicles did not recognize, into pre-planned freeway construction zones; in May (San Francisco Bay Area), driving into freeway lanes with active construction by passing between cones that marked a lane closure in the adjacent lane",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the recall report says the April vehicles 'did not recognize and drove past ramp closure signs' and the May vehicles entered 'by driving between cones designating lane closure in the adjacent lane'; the field left out how the vehicles entered"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Outcome.value",
   "old": "State: averted by Waymo's own process. The recall report describes no crash or injury, only an increased potential for collisions. As of Jun 2026.",
   "new": "State: averted by Waymo's own process, which acted after the events, not during them: no control is described as stopping any of the entries, and the reports do not say how the events ended or why none led to a collision. Freeway driving was restricted after the April events and again after the May events, and the software remedy reached all affected vehicles by 29 June 2026. The recall report describes no crash or injury, only an increased potential for collisions; a Waymo spokesperson said no injuries or collisions were reported (TechCrunch, 29 July 2026). As of Jul 2026.",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: 'averted by Waymo's own process' read as if a control stopped the events; the recall report's chronology shows each review and restriction came after the entries ('did not recognize and drove past ramp closure signs'; 'entered freeway lanes with active construction') and gives no reason no collision occurred. The amended report (2 July 2026) dates the remedy, and TechCrunch (29 July 2026) quotes Waymo that no injuries or collisions were reported. The state itself is left for the editor"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Outcome.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"NHTSA-573A\", \"TC-RETURN\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the remedy dates are in the amended recall report (2 July 2026) and the no-injury statement in TechCrunch (29 July 2026)"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Evidence event.value",
   "old": "Waymo's own chronology in the recall report: events, internal safety-committee review, restrictions, recall",
   "new": "Waymo's own chronology in its recall report (17 June 2026) and amended report (2 July 2026): the events, Field Safety Committee reviews and freeway restrictions, Safety Board review and recall decision, then the remedy dates; NHTSA's acknowledgement letter records the interim freeway restriction",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the report names two bodies, 'Waymo's Field Safety Committee' (20 April, 19 May) and 'Waymo's Safety Board' (1 and 8 June), not one 'safety committee'; the remedy dates are in the amended report; NHTSA's letter says 'Waymo modified the scope of vehicle operations to restrict freeway driving'"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Evidence event.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"NHTSA-573A\", \"NHTSA-ACK\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the amended recall report and NHTSA's acknowledgement letter added as sources for the chronology"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Recovery automated fallback.value",
   "old": "Not described as a vehicle-level response; the vehicles completed the maneuver",
   "new": "Not described as a vehicle-level response: the recall reports do not say how any event ended or that any vehicle stopped or left the zone on its own. The remedy makes the vehicle reduce speed when it detects it may be in a construction zone, and Waymo's operational changes enable more remote assistance when a vehicle enters a freeway construction zone",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: 'the vehicles completed the maneuver' is not in the recall report, which says only that vehicles 'drove past ramp closure signs into' and 'entered freeway lanes with active construction'; the amended report (2 July 2026) says the remedy will 'reduce speed when the AV detects that it may be in a construction zone' and 'enable more Remote Assistance capability in the event an AV enters a freeway construction zone'"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Recovery automated fallback.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"NHTSA-573A\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the amended recall report added as a source for the remedy"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Recovery technical.value",
   "old": "1. Field Safety Committee reviews on 20 April and 19 May, each followed by freeway driving restrictions. 2. Safety Board review on 1 June and a recall decision on 8 June. 3. Software remedy under a recall covering 3,871 vehicles",
   "new": "1. Waymo's Field Safety Committee began reviewing the April events on 20 April and met on 19 May after the May events; each review was followed by freeway driving restrictions, the first until operational mitigations for freeway closures were in place, the second until the root causes could be identified and addressed. On 21 May Waymo confirmed to TechCrunch that it had suspended freeway service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami, with surface streets still served. 2. Safety Board review on 1 June and a recall decision on 8 June. 3. Software remedy under a recall covering 3,871 vehicles, improving recognition of freeway construction zones and prioritizing them over other freeway hazards: updates began on 16 June and all driverless-capable vehicles had the remedy by 29 June 2026; freeway operations began resuming on 25 June (amended recall report, 2 July 2026), and on 29 July Waymo said it was gradually adding freeway routes back, starting in Phoenix (TechCrunch)",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the field stopped at the recall decision and left out the conditions of each restriction. The recall report says the first restriction lasted 'until operational mitigations that included improved awareness and response to freeway closures were implemented' and the second 'until the root causes could be identified and appropriately addressed'; Waymo confirmed to TechCrunch (21 May 2026) that freeway service was suspended in four cities; the amended report (2 July 2026) dates the remedy from 16 June to 29 June and the start of resumed freeway operations to 25 June; TechCrunch (29 July 2026) reports the return of freeway routes starting in Phoenix"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Recovery technical.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"NHTSA-573A\", \"TC-HALT\", \"TC-RETURN\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the amended recall report and two TechCrunch reports added as sources"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Recovery accountability.value",
   "old": "Recall report submitted to NHTSA on 17 June 2026; no enforcement action recorded",
   "new": "Recall report filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): the published report shows a submission date of 17 June 2026, and NHTSA's acknowledgement letter of the same day gives the manufacturer's report date as 12 June; amended report submitted 2 July 2026. The letter sets only the status reports the law requires (eight quarterly, then three annual); no enforcement action or investigation into this issue is recorded (searched to 20 October 2026)",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the report reads 'Submission Date: Jun 17, 2026' while NHTSA's acknowledgement letter gives 'Mfr's Report Date: June 12, 2026', which is why earlier versions said 12 June; both are now stated. The amended report of 2 July 2026 was missing. The letter requires 'eight consecutive quarterly reports followed by three annual reports'; no investigation of this issue was found in searches to 20 October 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "fields.Recovery accountability.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"NHTSA-573A\", \"NHTSA-ACK\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the amended recall report and NHTSA's acknowledgement letter added as sources"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "controls.C-E2",
   "old": "{\"note\": \"Construction-zone recognition; Live construction-zone data feed enforced as a hard constraint (not evidenced) (absent)\", \"confidence\": \"high\"}",
   "new": "{\"note\": \"Construction-zone recognition was present and failed: the recall report says the system was 'failing to recognize the construction zone' or prioritizing other freeway hazards, and vehicles drove past ramp-closure signs into pre-planned zones. No hard limit fed by planned-closure data is evidenced before the events; the amended report adds operational changes to 'better identify and mitigate potential entry into pre-planned construction zones'\", \"confidence\": \"high\"}",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the note tagged recognition '(absent)', but the recall report shows recognition existed and failed ('failing to recognize the construction zone'); only a hard limit fed by planned-closure data is not evidenced, and the amended report (2 July 2026) adds 'operational changes that better identify and mitigate potential entry into pre-planned construction zones'. Bucket and confidence unchanged"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "controls.C-R4",
   "old": "{\"note\": \"Internal safety committee; Operational restriction pending fix; Recall process\", \"confidence\": \"high\"}",
   "new": "{\"note\": \"Waymo's Field Safety Committee began reviewing the April events on 20 April and met on 19 May, the day after the May events; each review was followed by freeway driving restrictions. The first lasted until operational mitigations for freeway closures were in place, and seven vehicles then entered active construction lanes on 18 May, in the San Francisco Bay Area and by a different cue (cones marking a closed adjacent lane); the report does not say where the April restriction applied or when it ended. The second restriction (freeway service in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Miami, per Waymo's statement to TechCrunch on 21 May) held while the Safety Board reviewed the issue on 1 and 8 June and decided to recall; the software remedy reached all affected vehicles between 16 and 29 June and freeway operations began resuming on 25 June (amended report). The recall was filed with NHTSA\", \"confidence\": \"high\"}",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the note said 'internal safety committee', but the report names the Field Safety Committee and the Safety Board; it omitted that the first restriction, which lasted 'until operational mitigations that included improved awareness and response to freeway closures were implemented', was followed by seven more entries on 18 May; and the cited 17 June report shows the remedy only 'under development' (NHTSA's letter), while the amended report (2 July 2026) shows it deployed. Bucket and confidence unchanged"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "outcome.as_of",
   "old": "Jun 2026",
   "new": "Jul 2026",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the amended recall report (2 July 2026) and TechCrunch's report of the return to freeways (29 July 2026) post-date the June filing; nothing later was found in searches to 20 October 2026"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "inference.value",
   "old": "The value of this case is the sequence: repeated minor events, an internal review, restrictions before the fix, then a recall the regulator could see. Software agents have no equivalent recovery process yet.",
   "new": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones with no collision or injury reported, a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another city and by a different cue. The record does not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: 'minor events' is not the recall report's word (it describes driving 'at speed' in construction zones with an increased potential for collisions); the reading omitted that seven entries followed the first review and restrictions, and did not say what the record does not show; 'Software agents have no equivalent recovery process yet' is not in any source for this case and was removed. The amended report (2 July 2026) dates the remedy. The interpretation was unsigned and remains unsigned for the editor"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-20",
   "field": "inference.source_ids",
   "old": "[\"NHTSA-573\"]",
   "new": "[\"NHTSA-573\", \"NHTSA-573A\", \"TC-RETURN\"]",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's source re-check of 19-20 October 2026: the remedy dates rest on the amended recall report and the no-injury statement on TechCrunch (29 July 2026)"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-21",
   "field": "inference.value",
   "old": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones with no collision or injury reported, a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another city and by a different cue. The record does not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "new": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another city and by a different cue. The record does not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's second, independent check of the interpretations, 21 October 2026: the recall reports do not say this; it is Waymo's later statement: 'A Waymo spokesperson said there were no injuries or collisions reported' (TechCrunch, 29 July 2026, TC-RETURN)."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-21",
   "field": "inference.value",
   "old": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another city and by a different cue. The record does not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "new": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another metropolitan area and by a different cue. The record does not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's second, independent check of the interpretations, 21 October 2026: the recall report names the 'San Francisco Bay Area', a region, not a city (NHTSA-573)."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-21",
   "field": "inference.value",
   "old": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another metropolitan area and by a different cue. The record does not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "new": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another metropolitan area and by a different cue. The recall reports do not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's second, independent check of the interpretations, 21 October 2026: a passenger's account of one May ride (ABC7, 19 June 2026), not confirmed by Waymo as a recall event, says the car left the zone by a freeway exit, so the statement is limited to the recall reports."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-21",
   "field": "inference.signed_by",
   "old": "Saurabh Bhatnagar",
   "new": null,
   "reason": "The interpretation's wording changed after the editor signed it (second, independent check of 21 October 2026); the signature is cleared so the editor signs the corrected wording."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-21",
   "field": "inference.value",
   "old": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another metropolitan area and by a different cue. The recall reports do not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why none led to a collision.",
   "new": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another metropolitan area and by a different cue. The recall reports do not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why, by Waymo's account, none led to a collision.",
   "reason": "Found in the editor's second, independent check of the interpretations, 21 October 2026: third check: the no-collision statement is Waymo's ('A Waymo spokesperson said there were no injuries or collisions reported', TC-RETURN), so the last sentence attributes it too."
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-28",
   "field": "named_parties[Waymo].right_of_reply",
   "old": "{\"offered\": \"2026-10-14\", \"response\": null, \"assessed_through\": \"2026-10-22\", \"assessments\": [{\"through\": \"2026-10-22\", \"date\": \"2026-10-22\", \"by\": \"editor's call of 22 October 2026 on the rule 19 review by four independent agents (reports rule19_1 to rule19_4); GitHub (REG-0005) judged borderline and not triggering\", \"triggered\": [], \"note\": \"no correction since the offer adds or worsens a claim about this party in words that are not its own\"}]}",
   "new": "{\"offered\": \"2026-10-14\", \"response\": null, \"assessed_through\": \"2026-10-22\", \"assessments\": [{\"through\": \"2026-10-22\", \"date\": \"2026-10-22\", \"by\": \"editor's call of 22 October 2026 on the rule 19 review by four independent agents (reports rule19_1 to rule19_4); GitHub (REG-0005) judged borderline and not triggering\", \"triggered\": [], \"note\": \"no correction since the offer adds or worsens a claim about this party in words that are not its own\"}], \"no_response_as_of\": \"2026-10-28\"}",
   "reason": "right of reply recorded by a human"
  }
 ],
 "created": "2026-10-06",
 "last_reviewed": "2026-10-28",
 "actor_status": "confirmed",
 "provenance_tier_text": "Public and regulatory",
 "status_text": "Confirmed",
 "outcome": {
  "state": "averted_by_control",
  "severity": "no crash or injury described; increased potential for collisions",
  "affected_parties": [],
  "cost": "none reported",
  "regime_consequence": "voluntary recall of 3,871 vehicles",
  "as_of": "Jul 2026",
  "derived_by": "backfill-curated"
 },
 "inference": {
  "value": "The value of this case is the sequence the recall reports set out: at least thirteen entries into freeway construction zones (Waymo later said no collisions or injuries were reported), a safety-committee review and freeway restrictions after the April events and again after the May events, a safety-board decision to recall, and a software remedy on every driverless-capable vehicle by 29 June 2026, all filed with the regulator. Seven of the entries came after the first review and restrictions, in another metropolitan area and by a different cue. The recall reports do not show any control stopping an entry as it happened, how the events ended, or why, by Waymo's account, none led to a collision.",
  "source_ids": [
   "NHTSA-573",
   "NHTSA-573A",
   "TC-RETURN"
  ],
  "confidence": "high",
  "signed_by": "Saurabh Bhatnagar",
  "signed_on": "2026-10-21"
 },
 "named_parties": [
  {
   "name": "Waymo",
   "right_of_reply": {
    "offered": "2026-10-14",
    "response": null,
    "assessed_through": "2026-10-22",
    "assessments": [
     {
      "through": "2026-10-22",
      "date": "2026-10-22",
      "by": "editor's call of 22 October 2026 on the rule 19 review by four independent agents (reports rule19_1 to rule19_4); GitHub (REG-0005) judged borderline and not triggering",
      "triggered": [],
      "note": "no correction since the offer adds or worsens a claim about this party in words that are not its own"
     }
    ],
    "no_response_as_of": "2026-10-28"
   }
  }
 ],
 "sources": {
  "NHTSA-573": {
   "title": "Waymo LLC, Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26E035: 5th Generation ADS software may allow vehicle to enter and drive in freeway construction zones (3,871 vehicles)",
   "type": "regulator",
   "url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E035-7637.pdf",
   "via_press": false,
   "date": "2026-06-17",
   "tier": "public_regulatory",
   "interest": null,
   "primary": true,
   "checked": "2026-10-20"
  },
  "NHTSA-573A": {
   "title": "Waymo LLC, Part 573 Safety Recall Report 26E035 (amended report, submission date 2 July 2026): remedy deployed and freeway operations resuming (3,871 vehicles)",
   "type": "regulator",
   "url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCLRPT-26E035-3773.pdf",
   "via_press": false,
   "date": "2026-07-02",
   "tier": "public_regulatory",
   "interest": null,
   "primary": true,
   "checked": "2026-10-20"
  },
  "NHTSA-ACK": {
   "title": "NHTSA, Recall Acknowledgement letter to Waymo LLC, Campaign 26E035: 'Software May Allow Vehicle to Enter and Drive In Freeway Construction Zones', 17 June 2026",
   "type": "regulator",
   "url": "https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2026/RCAK-26E035-6843.pdf",
   "via_press": false,
   "date": "2026-06-17",
   "tier": "public_regulatory",
   "interest": null,
   "primary": true,
   "checked": "2026-10-20"
  },
  "TC-HALT": {
   "title": "TechCrunch, 'Waymo halts freeway rides after robotaxis struggle in construction zones' (Sean O'Kane), 21 May 2026",
   "type": "press_pointer",
   "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/waymo-halts-freeway-rides-after-robotaxis-struggle-in-construction-zones/",
   "via_press": true,
   "date": "2026-05-21",
   "tier": "press",
   "interest": null,
   "primary": false,
   "checked": "2026-10-20"
  },
  "TC-RETURN": {
   "title": "TechCrunch, 'Waymo robotaxis are starting to return to freeways' (Kirsten Korosec), 29 July 2026",
   "type": "press_pointer",
   "url": "https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/29/waymo-robotaxis-are-starting-to-return-to-freeways/",
   "via_press": true,
   "date": "2026-07-29",
   "tier": "press",
   "interest": null,
   "primary": false,
   "checked": "2026-10-20"
  }
 },
 "derived_by": "backfill-curated",
 "reviewed_by": "Saurabh Bhatnagar (editor)"
}