The National Transportation Safety Board has initiated an investigation into Waymo's autonomous vehicles for failing to stop for school buses in Austin, Texas. This probe follows a preliminary review by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a voluntary software recall by Waymo. Despite the update, incidents continued, prompting federal scrutiny.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced an official investigation into Waymo's robotaxis after reports of the vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas. The agency stated on X that it would examine interactions between Waymo vehicles and school buses during student loading and unloading.
This federal probe originated from a preliminary evaluation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which assessed Waymo's response to stopped school buses in the city. The review prompted Waymo to issue a voluntary software recall in December. However, a memo from the local school district indicated that the robotaxis continued the same violations just days after the update.
NTSB investigators are set to travel to Austin to collect information on multiple incidents where the automated vehicles did not stop for students boarding or exiting buses, according to an agency spokesperson speaking to the Austin American-Statesman. A preliminary report is expected within 30 days, with the final report taking 12 to 24 months to complete.
Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, responded in a statement to news outlets: "There have been no collisions in the events in question, and we are confident that our safety performance around school buses is superior to human drivers." He added that the investigation represents "an opportunity to provide the NTSB with transparent insights into our safety-first approach."
The incidents highlight ongoing challenges in autonomous vehicle deployment in urban environments, particularly around vulnerable road users like schoolchildren.
