Feds ask Waymo about robotaxis repeatedly passing school buses in Austin

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested detailed information from Waymo regarding its self-driving system and operations after the Austin School District reported 19 instances in 2025-26 where Waymo’s robotaxis illegally passed stopped school buses. This inquiry follows an ongoing investigation initiated in October 2025 by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), triggered by footage showing a Waymo autonomous vehicle maneuvering dangerously around a stopped school bus in Atlanta. Waymo acknowledged the incident, attributing it to limited visibility caused by the bus partially blocking a driveway, and subsequently issued a software update aimed at improving safety. Despite this, the Austin School District reported continued violations, including at least five occurrences after the November 17 software update. Waymo maintains that safety is its top priority and claims its robotaxis have significantly reduced injury-related crashes compared to human drivers. The company asserts that its software updates have meaningfully improved performance, surpassing human driver safety in this area