Regulators investigate Waymo after its robotaxi bypasses a stopped school bus

A Waymo robotaxi was recently spotted circling a school bus with flashing red lights, and federal safety regulators launched an investigation as a result.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Monday morning that its Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has opened an investigation after viewing footage in early October of a Waymo autonomous vehicle maneuvering around a stopped school bus that was unloading children in Atlanta, Georgia.

ODI says in a document that it will study how Waymo’s self-driving software performs around stopped school buses, how the system is designed to comply with bus-related rules, and more. NHTSA said Monday that, based on its engagement with Waymo so far, the “likelihood of other prior similar incidents is high.”

The Waymo robotaxi in question crossed perpendicularly in front of the school bus on its right side. The autonomous vehicle then turned left in front of the bus before heading down the street. According to Waymo, the bus partially blocked the aisle the robotaxi was leaving. The company says the robotaxi was unable to see the flashing lights or stop sign. Waymo did not immediately respond to a question about whether the vehicle could see students getting off the bus or the bus’s control arm.

“Safety is our top priority as we deliver hundreds of thousands of fully autonomous paid rides each week in some of the harshest driving environments in the United States,” the company said in a statement, while citing data showing its vehicles experience fewer crashes than human-driven ones. “NHTSA plays a critical role in road safety and we will continue to work collaboratively with the agency toward our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.” »

Waymo also said Monday that it has already released software updates for its fleet to improve performance.

It’s been a year of expansion for Waymo. The company launched in Atlanta, brought its robotaxis to Austin, expanded into Silicon Valley, and is currently testing its project in several other metropolitan areas, including New York. It is also being tested at San Jose and San Francisco airports, with many more cities planned for 2026.

Part of the process of launching in new cities is encountering the self-driving system and learning new scenarios — although it’s safe to say that Atlanta isn’t the first place Waymo’s robotaxis has seen school buses.

This is not the first time that NHTSA has opened an investigation into Waymo’s self-driving cars. In 2023, NHTSA investigated reports that Waymo vehicles were having difficulty with road barriers such as gates and chains in low-speed situations. That investigation ultimately led to a recall in May, which Waymo responded to with a software update. Last year, the agency announced an investigation centered on reports that Waymo vehicles had driven down the wrong lane or entered construction zones.