NTSB Launches Investigation as Waymo Robotaxis Continue Illegal School Bus Passes

Escalating Safety Concerns

The National Transportation Safety Board has opened a formal investigation into Waymo's autonomous vehicles after Austin ISD now confirms Waymo vehicles committed a total of 24 violations, as of the middle of January . Despite multiple software patches and a voluntary recall affecting over 3,000 vehicles, an Austin school district claimed that it had reported at least one violation after the patch had been applied, suggesting it didn't fully address the issue .

The violations are particularly concerning because they involve The Waymos ignored the buses' flashing lights and extended stop arm, an infraction that can bring major penalties for human drivers . While No serious collisions or injuries have been reported, but in at least one incident, a Waymo drove right by the students who were disembarking from the bus .

These incidents represent a troubling pattern. Waymo robotaxis were committing school bus traffic violations an average of 1.5 times per week in Austin, Texas, from the start of the school year to November 20 , despite the company's claims of superior safety performance.

Failed Fixes and Growing Frustration

Austin ISD officials have grown increasingly frustrated with Waymo's inability to resolve the issue. "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."

The school district even offered to help test Waymo's fixes. He noted that Waymo brought two of its cars and he provided seven school buses of different OEMs to conduct tests. He added that his staff complied with any request made by Waymo officials during the four-hour test period . However, "The unfortunate part is, after that, they had another two or three violations," he said .

The problem extends beyond Austin. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also opened a preliminary evaluation Oct. 17, after a Waymo vehicle failed to stop and passed a school bus in Atlanta, Georgia in September .

Company Response and Broader Implications

Waymo maintains confidence in its technology. "We are confident that our safety performance around school buses is superior to human drivers," Peña said in a statement, via TechCrunch . The company points to "their reported success in reducing human-driven violations around school buses from 10,000+ a year."

However, experts question whether autonomous vehicles are ready for widespread deployment. However, experts from the Association for Computing Machinery has warned that it's not clear that a fully autonomous vehicle can operate safely without the attention of a human driver except on certain restricted roads and conditions .

The school bus violations aren't Waymo's only recent challenge. But the company's biggest snafu came last month, when seemingly its entire San Francisco fleet suddenly forgot how to drive after the city experienced a power outage, causing the cars to stop in the middle of roads and clog up busy intersections .

What Lies Ahead

The NTSB investigation represents a significant escalation in regulatory scrutiny. The NTSB's probe could take 12 to 14 months to complete, but a preliminary report will be released within 30 days . This federal attention comes as autonomous vehicle companies race to expand their operations across American cities.

For parents and school officials, the incidents highlight fundamental questions about deploying unproven technology in environments where children's safety is paramount. The repeated failures to fix what should be a straightforward traffic law compliance issue raises doubts about whether current autonomous systems can handle the nuanced, safety-critical situations that human drivers navigate daily.

As Waymo continues operations while investigators examine its technology, the company faces mounting pressure to prove that its "world's most trusted driver" claim extends beyond marketing rhetoric to actual road safety performance around the most vulnerable road users.