THE CRUNCH
Federal safety regulators are investigating why Waymo robotaxis have continued to illegally pass stopped school buses even after a software fix intended to stop exactly that. In a filing dated November 6, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said a majority of the reported incidents occurred after Waymo deployed its update, which the company said was completed for all affected vehicles on November 17, 2025. NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation has opened what it calls a recall query to assess the adequacy of the remedy.
The original problem came to light nearly a year ago, when NHTSA opened its first investigation in October 2025 after footage showed a Waymo vehicle crossing in front of a stopped school bus in Atlanta while its stop sign was extended, lights flashing and children were unloading. The robotaxi turned left around the front of the bus before driving on. Waymo subsequently issued a recall and a software update after numerous similar reports, and Austin Independent School District officials reported at least five such incidents in a letter filed with NHTSA.
Waymo, reached for comment, said it has made significant improvements to vehicle behaviour around school buses and has received no citations since March 2026. A spokesperson said the company will work to respond to NHTSA's query once received, adding that it looks forward to continuing engagement on recall processes for autonomous vehicle software that continues to learn and improve.