US EditionUS probes reports Waymo self-driving cars illegally passed school buses 19 times in Texas
NHTSA probes Waymo after 19 reported illegal passes of stopped school buses in Texas, prompting voluntary software recall and ongoing safety concerns from Austin ISD.
- On Dec. 3, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an evaluation into Waymo's performance around stopped school buses and demanded detailed responses by January 20.
- Austin Independent School District officials say school-bus-mounted cameras show at least 19 instances of Waymo vehicles passing stopped school buses during the 2025-26 school year, and the district has asked Waymo to halt operations during pick-up and drop-off hours until fixes are proven.
- Waymo says updates by Nov. 17 improved performance, but Austin ISD stated `programming changes... did not resolve the issue or our concerns` after a Dec. 1, 2025 incident.
- Austin Independent School District demanded Waymo cease operating during student pick-up and drop-off hours until software fixes are completed, but the company refused, with a district lawyer warning it still endangers students.
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation opened its probe in October after Atlanta Public Schools documented Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped buses, while Association for Computing Machinery experts warn automated vehicles may not reduce injuries and Waymo plans Dallas expansion for 2026.
44 Articles
44 Articles
Waymo will recall software after its self-driving cars passed stopped school buses
The autonomous ride-hailing service Waymo plans to file a voluntarily software recall after several reports that its self-driving taxis illegally passed stopped school buses.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation in October in response to “a media report involving a Waymo AV [autonomous vehicle] that failed to remain stopped when approaching a school bus that was stopped with its red lights flashing, s…
Waymo Recalls Self-Driving Vehicles Amid Texas School Bus Violations
Waymo announced a voluntary recall Friday for its fleet of self-driving cars after Texas authorities reported that the vehicles have passed stopped school buses on at least 19 occasions since the start of the academic year. The incidents, which took place in Austin, led the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to start an investigation in October into Waymo’s vehicles in the vicinity of school buses. On Wednesday, the federal agency re…
Feds investigate Waymo robotaxis reportedly passing school buses
Waymo robotaxis have been providing public rides in Austin, Texas since March, and following safety incidents with school buses, Austin school district officials have asked the company to stop offering robotaxi rides during school drop-off times.Now, regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are investigating Waymo over complaints that its robotaxis have illegally passed school buses at least 19 times, according to…
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