Regulators probe Waymo after its robotaxi drove round a stopped college bus

A Waymo robotaxi was just lately noticed driving round a faculty bus with its pink lights flashing, and federal security regulators have opened an investigation consequently.

The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) introduced Monday morning that its Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation after seeing footage from early October of a Waymo autonomous automobile maneuvering round a stopped college bus that was unloading youngsters in Atlanta, Georgia.

ODI says in a doc that it’s going to examine the efficiency of Waymo’s self-driving software program round stopped college buses, how the system is designed to adjust to guidelines associated to the buses, and extra. NHTSA mentioned Monday that, based mostly on its engagement with Waymo to date, the “probability of different prior related incidents is excessive.”

The Waymo robotaxi in query crossed perpendicularly in entrance of the college bus from its proper aspect. The autonomous automobile then turned left across the entrance of the bus earlier than touring down the road. In response to Waymo, the bus was partially blocking the driveway that the robotaxi was leaving. The corporate claims the robotaxi couldn’t see the flashing lights or cease signal. Waymo didn’t instantly reply to a query about whether or not the automobile may see the scholars getting off the bus, or the bus’s management arm.

“Security is our high precedence, as we offer tons of of 1000’s of absolutely autonomous paid journeys each week in a number of the most difficult driving environments within the U.S.,” the corporate mentioned in a press release, whereas citing knowledge that exhibits its automobiles get in fewer crashes than human-driven ones. “NHTSA performs a significant function in highway security, and we’ll proceed to work collaboratively with the company as a part of our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.”

Waymo additionally mentioned Monday that it has already issued software program updates to its fleet to enhance efficiency.

This has been a yr of enlargement for Waymo. The corporate launched in Atlanta, introduced its robotaxis to Austin, expanded throughout Silicon Valley, and is testing in a variety of different metro areas, together with New York Metropolis. It’s additionally testing on the San Jose and San Francisco airports, and has many extra cities lined up for 2026.

A part of the method of launching in new cities is having the self-driving system encounter and study from new situations — though it’s secure to say Atlanta was not the primary place that Waymo’s robotaxis have seen college buses.

This isn’t the primary time NHTSA has opened an investigation into Waymo’s self-driving automobiles. In 2023, NHTSA probed studies that Waymo’s automobiles have been scuffling with roadway boundaries like gates and chains in low-speed conditions. That investigation in the end led to a recall in 2024, which Waymo addressed with a software program replace. Final yr, the company introduced a probe centered on studies that Waymo automobiles had pushed into the improper lane or entered development zones.