United Kingdom, May 15 -- Self-driving cars still lack "common sense", an autonomous vehicle executive has admitted, after thousands of Waymo robotaxis were recalled in the US following an incident involving a flooded road.

The recall affects almost 3,800 Waymo vehicles using the company's fifth and sixth-generation automated driving systems after an empty robotaxi drove into floodwater in San Antonio, Texas, and was swept into a creek.

According to a notice published by the US Department of Transportation, the software "may allow the vehicle to slow and then drive into standing water on higher speed roadways".

During the incident, the vehicle reportedly stopped in a flooded 40mph zone before attempting to continue through the water in...