The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into about 2,000 Waymo robotaxis following reports that one of the vehicles failed to obey school bus safety laws in Georgia. The incident, captured on video, showed a driverless Waymo car passing a stopped school bus with red lights flashing and its stop arm deployed while children were exiting — raising alarms about how autonomous systems handle critical traffic scenarios.
Waymo, a unit of Alphabet, said the vehicle approached the bus from an angle that obscured its warning signals but maintained a slow speed and safe distance. The company said it has since improved its driving software and plans further updates to strengthen detection around school zones.
NHTSA said that with Waymo’s autonomous fleet surpassing 100 million total miles and operating across major U.S. cities, “the likelihood of other prior similar incidents is high.” The fleet, numbering more than 1,500 vehicles, operates in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Austin, all without human safety drivers.
This new probe comes shortly after NHTSA wrapped up a 14-month review into previous Waymo incidents involving minor collisions and unexpected driving behavior. That investigation ended in July after two recalls, but regulators continue to monitor how self-driving systems interact with pedestrians, cyclists, and school zones.
