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NHTSA Probes 2,895 Waymo Robotaxis Over School Bus Fix
The probe will assess whether Waymo’s software fix worked after regulators documented repeated violations involving stopped school buses and children.
- On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a recall query into 2,895 Waymo vehicles to determine if a December 2025 software update adequately resolved a defect causing robotaxis to illegally pass stopped school buses.
- Waymo issued a voluntary software recall for 3,067 vehicles in December 2025 after identifying instances of its autonomous cars passing stopped school buses. However, regulators noted most violations occurred after November 17, 2025, when the company deployed the fix.
- Austin Independent School District documented 19 distinct violations, including an incident where a driverless car briefly stopped then proceeded while a student was actively crossing the street. Some sources report as many as 24 violations, raising concerns about the system's ability to recognize school bus signals.
- Waymo spokesperson Dana Gallagher said the company has "made significant improvements to vehicle behavior around school buses" and received no citations since March 2026. The National Transportation Safety Board launched a parallel independent investigation into the robotaxi behavior.
- Recall queries like this one have resulted in civil penalties costing developers tens of millions of dollars. This probe reflects growing federal scrutiny over how autonomous vehicles interact with vulnerable road users, particularly students, in active traffic environments.
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31 Articles
The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Waymo taxis won’t stop passing stopped school buses, feds say
Waymo announced a voluntary recall last year to address the issue — which is now being investigated by federal regulators over continued safety concerns
·London, United Kingdom
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NHTSA probing Waymo software recall after bus violations
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an inquiry into examine the effectiveness of a recall Waymo issued last year after its driverless vehicles were reported passing stopped school buses, including ones in Austin that had lights flashing and stop-arms extended, according to a NHTSA notice filed Friday.
·Austin, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources31
Leaning Left5Leaning Right4Center9Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 28%
C 50%
R 22%
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