Waymo Robotaxis Under Federal Scrutiny in Austin

Waymo Under Scrutiny for School Bus Interactions

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has formally requested additional details from Waymo regarding its autonomous driving system and operational procedures. This request follows reports from the Austin School District concerning instances of its robotaxis improperly navigating around school buses.

NHTSA Investigation and Initial Concerns

Regulators sent a letter to Waymo on December 3rd, seeking comprehensive information about the fifth-generation of its self-driving system. Reuters initially reported on this correspondence, which arrived two months after the agency initiated an investigation into Waymo’s performance near stationary school buses.

The investigation began in October, prompted by video footage depicting a Waymo autonomous vehicle proceeding around a stopped school bus in Atlanta. The bus had its stop sign extended and warning lights activated while students were disembarking.

Waymo’s Explanation and Subsequent Updates

Waymo initially stated that the school bus partially obstructed a driveway, hindering the robotaxi’s visibility of the flashing lights and stop sign.

Following this incident, Waymo implemented a software update intended to enhance system performance.

Continued Issues and Austin School District Reports

Despite the update, reports of Waymo robotaxis illegally passing school buses persisted. The Austin School District documented 19 separate occurrences of Waymo automated vehicles violating traffic laws around school buses since the start of the 2025-26 school year.

Notably, at least five of these incidents occurred after Waymo announced the software update on November 17th.

Waymo’s Safety Claims and NHTSA Collaboration

In a public statement, Waymo emphasized that safety remains its paramount concern. The company presented data suggesting its robotaxis are improving road safety, demonstrating a fivefold decrease in injury-related accidents compared to human drivers.

Furthermore, Waymo reported a twelvefold reduction in injury crashes involving pedestrians.

“We have already made software updates to improve our performance and are committed to continuous improvement,” Waymo stated. “NHTSA plays a vital role in road safety, and we will continue to work collaboratively with the agency as part of our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.”

Disagreement and Operational Requests

Waymo maintains that the recent software enhancements have resulted in performance levels exceeding those of human drivers in similar situations.

However, the Austin School District disputes this claim and has requested Waymo to temporarily suspend operations during peak student transportation hours.

“Waymo’s software updates are clearly not working as intended nor as quickly as required,” the district communicated in a letter dated November 20th. “We cannot allow Waymo to continue endangering our students while it attempts to implement a fix. Accordingly, Austin ISD demands that Waymo immediately cease operation 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 more in-depth software updates are completed and Waymo can guarantee its vehicles will comply with the law.”

NHTSA Follow-Up and Recall Inquiry

Four days later, federal investigators from the Office of Defects Investigation sent a letter to Waymo acknowledging the concerns raised by the Austin school district.

The investigators inquired whether Waymo had complied with the school district’s request to halt operations, if the software fix addressed the identified issue, and whether Waymo intended to issue a recall.