Zoox, the self-driving car company owned by Amazon, has issued a software update for its robotaxis after one of their vehicles struggled to navigate an emergency fire scene in June. The vehicle encountered heavy smoke that obscured an active fire scene and braked hard as it attempted to avoid the situation.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that Zoox had conducted an investigation and found this was the only incident of its kind they experienced, despite multiple conversations with safety regulators. The company has shipped a software update to their fleet of 105 vehicles to enhance their ability to detect and respond to heavy smoke in certain situations.

The recall comes just a week after NHTSA administrator Jonathan Morrison warned self-driving car companies about interfering with first responders, stating that the inability to appropriately handle such scenarios is a functional insufficiency. The incident highlights the challenges faced by autonomous vehicles when navigating real-world emergencies.

Zoox has been expanding its testing to new cities and offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco, with plans for commercial launch pending NHTSA approval. However, this update may raise questions about the reliability of self-driving technology in unpredictable emergency situations.