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Waymo Recalls 1,200 Self-Driving Vehicles After Minor Collisions

Alphabet’s Waymo is recalling greater than 1,200 self-driving automobiles to replace software program and tackle dangers of collisions with chains, gates and different roadway limitations after U.S. auto security investigators opened a probe final yr.
The recall impacts 1,212 Waymo automobiles working on the corporate’s fifth-generation automated driving system software program, the corporate mentioned.
Waymo has over 1,500 automobiles on the street throughout San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Austin, Texas, and is working greater than 250,000 totally autonomous paid rides every week. It plans so as to add service in Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C.
Waymo mentioned it was conscious of 16 collisions with chains, gates and different limitations between 2022 and late 2024. However the incidents didn’t end in any accidents, in keeping with a report filed with the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration.
NHTSA opened an investigation into the efficiency of Waymo self-driving automobiles in Could 2024 after experiences of its robotaxis exhibiting driving habits that probably violated visitors security legal guidelines.
The company mentioned a number of incidents below investigation “concerned collisions with clearly seen objects {that a} competent driver can be anticipated to keep away from.” The investigation stays open.
The difficulty has been resolved with a software program replace to its automated driving system begun in November and deployed throughout the complete fleet by the top of December, Waymo mentioned.
“Waymo supplies greater than 250,000 paid journeys each week in a few of the most difficult driving environments within the U.S.,” the corporate mentioned on Wednesday.
“Our report of lowering accidents over tens of hundreds of thousands of totally autonomous miles pushed reveals our know-how is making roads safer,” it added.
In February 2024, Waymo recalled 444 self-driving automobiles after two minor collisions in fast succession in Arizona, saying a software program error might end in automated automobiles inaccurately predicting the motion of a towed car.
Self-driving car firms, together with Waymo and Common Motors’ Cruise, have come below elevated regulatory scrutiny following a 2023 incident the place a pedestrian was critically injured by a Cruise car. GM minimize Cruise’s funding and folded it into its broader operations.
Waymo recalled greater than 670 automobiles in June after one in every of them struck a picket utility pole in Phoenix in Could 2024. The corporate mentioned the automated driving software program might fail to keep away from a pole or comparable object.
Final week, Amazon.com’s self-driving unit, Zoox, agreed to recall 270 driverless automobiles after an unoccupied robotaxi was concerned in a crash with a passenger automobile in Las Vegas, Nevada. Nobody was injured.
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At Least 4 Dead in San Antonio And Dozens More Rescued After Heavy Rain

A minimum of 4 persons are lifeless in San Antonio and dozens of water rescues have been made across the metropolis after heavy rains flooded highways and stranded motorists, officers mentioned Thursday.
Fireplace officers mentioned they’re nonetheless trying to find two people who find themselves lacking. Requires water rescued started shortly earlier than dawn, in response to the San Antonio police division.
Extreme rainfall is probably going throughout components of the southern Plains over the approaching days, the Nationwide Climate Service mentioned.
A number of rounds of storms with heavy rainfall can be fueled by a moist low stage jet, NWS mentioned. The climate company forecasts 2 to 4 inch rainfall totals throughout the ArkLaTex area and three to five inches for components of southeast Texas by means of late Friday evening. Extreme thunderstorms are additionally attainable.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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Florida Commission Accepts First Hurricane Model Under New Standards

The Florida Fee on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology has accepted a brand new loss mannequin from Karen Clark & Co., the primary to satisfy the fee’s newest requirements.
KCC’s Model 5.0 incorporates two extra years of local weather and hurricane information and consists of a number of upgrades, corresponding to secondary constructing traits, new vulnerability features for appurtenant constructions, and up to date vulnerability features for manufactured houses, the agency mentioned Thursday. The replace additionally helps modeling of regulation and ordinance protection and roof precise money worth endorsements.
The modeling is designed to assist insurance coverage carriers and reinsurers on pricing, underwriting, and danger administration selections, KCC mentioned in an announcement.
The hurricane methodology fee was established in 1995 to assessment and audit loss fashions. The fee at the moment accepts fashions from seven distributors, together with Utilized Analysis Associates, CoreLogic, Florida Worldwide College’s public mannequin, Affect Forecasting, KCC, Threat Administration Options, and Verisk. The certificates for hurricane models accepted beneath the fee’s 2021 requirements are on account of expire in November, the fee has indicated.
The KCC hurricane mannequin certification comes 9 months after the fee accepted three new flood models: one from Karen Clark, one from Aon’s Affect Forecasting and one being a public mannequin developed by researchers from eight universities.
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MGA Optio Launches $150M Political Violence & Terrorism Cover

Optio Group, the London-based, impartial specialty MGA, introduced the launch of latest political violence and terrorism (PVT) binders, backed by 100% Lloyd’s of London capability.
The brand new product offers a US$150 million restrict, guaranteeing complete safety in opposition to each bodily and monetary threats confronted by companies and organizations. It additionally contains an energetic assailant add-on.
“Re-entering the PVT market with US$150 million of Lloyd’s-backed capability is a big milestone for Optio and underlines our dedication to delivering high-quality protection,” commented Angus Bailey, head of specialty, in an announcement.
“It additionally permits our capability suppliers to capitalise on Optio’s rising distribution community, guaranteeing broad market attain and sustainable progress. We’re excited to deliver this enhanced answer to the market and proceed strengthening our specialty capabilities with our companions.”
Supply: Optio Group
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