Feds ask Waymo about robotaxis repeatedly passing school buses in Austin

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has asked Waymo for much accusation astir its self-driving strategy and operations pursuing reports from the Austin School District that its robotaxis illegally passed schoolhouse buses 19 times this year.

In a December 3 letter sent to Waymo, regulators requested elaborate accusation astir its fifth-generation self-driving strategy and operations. Reuters was the first to report connected the letter, which comes 2 months since the bureau opened an probe into Waymo implicit however its robotaxis execute astir stopped schoolhouse buses.

The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened its archetypal investigation into the Alphabet-owned institution successful October aft seeing footage of a Waymo autonomous conveyance maneuvering astir a stopped schoolhouse autobus — with its halt motion extended and lights flashing — that was unloading kids successful Atlanta. In that incident, a Waymo robotaxi crossed perpendicularly successful beforehand of the schoolhouse autobus from its close side. The autonomous conveyance past turned near astir the beforehand of the autobus earlier traveling down the street.

Waymo has said the autobus was partially blocking the driveway and that the robotaxi could not spot the flashing lights oregon halt sign.

Waymo besides said it issued a bundle update to its fleet to amended performance.

Reports of Waymo robotaxis illegally passing schoolhouse buses has continued adjacent aft the fix. The Austin School District has reported 19 antithetic instances of Waymo automated vehicles illegally passing schoolhouse buses since the opening of the 2025-26 schoolhouse year. The schoolhouse territory noted successful a letter to Waymo that astatine slightest 5 of these occurred aft Waymo said it updated its bundle connected November 17.

In an emailed statement, Waymo said information is its apical priority. The institution besides said information shows its robotaxis are improving roadworthy safety, noting a fivefold simplification successful injury-related crashes compared to quality drivers, and 12x less wounded crashes involving pedestrians.

“We person already made bundle updates to amended our show and are committed to continuous improvement,” the connection continued. “NHTSA plays a captious relation successful roadworthy safety, and we volition proceed to enactment collaboratively with the bureau arsenic portion of our ngo to beryllium the world’s astir trusted driver.”

Waymo contends that the bundle updates person meaningfully improved show to a level amended than quality drivers successful this area.

Austin School District seems to disagree and has asked Waymo to cease operations during definite times of the time erstwhile students are arriving and departing school.

“Waymo’s bundle updates are intelligibly not moving arsenic intended nor arsenic rapidly arsenic required,” the district’s November 20 missive to Waymo reads. “We cannot let Waymo to proceed endangering our students portion it attempts to instrumentality a fix. Accordingly, Austin ISD demands that Waymo instantly cease cognition of its automated vehicles during the hours of 5:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m., until much in-depth bundle updates are completed and Waymo tin warrant its vehicles volition comply with the law.”

Federal regulators with the Office of Defects Investigation sent Waymo a letter 4 days aboriginal noting that it had been alerted by Austin schoolhouse territory officials. The investigators asked if Waymo had ceased operations, per the schoolhouse district’s request, if its bundle hole mitigated this concern, and if Waymo planned to record a recall?