Waymo, an autonomous ride-hailing service, intends to file a voluntary software recall following reports of its self-driving taxis passing stopped school buses.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated an investigation into Waymo in October. This action was prompted by a media report detailing an autonomous vehicle (AV) that did not remain stopped when approaching a school bus with red lights flashing, its stop arm deployed, and its crossing control arm extended.
In September, WXIA-TV in Atlanta broadcast video footage depicting a Waymo vehicle driving around a school bus.
The Austin Independent School District has documented 19 instances where Waymo vehicles passed the district's school buses. A letter from the district's senior counsel indicated that in one event, a Waymo vehicle drove past a stopped bus shortly after a student had crossed in front of it and while the student remained in the road.
Mauricio Peña, Waymo's Chief Safety Officer, stated the company plans to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA and will continue to analyze vehicle performance and implement necessary corrections. Waymo identified a software issue contributing to these incidents and anticipates that subsequent updates will rectify the problem. The company plans to file the recall early next week and has reported no injuries associated with this issue.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google's parent company), has emphasized its safety record, asserting that its driverless cars demonstrate a lower crash rate than human-driven vehicles. The company claims 91% fewer crashes resulting in serious injuries and 92% fewer crashes involving pedestrian injuries in its operational cities. Independent analyses from technology news website Ars Technica and the newsletter Understanding AI have supported Waymo's claims regarding the safety performance of its AVs.
NHTSA noted that Waymo's AVs exceeded 100 million miles of driving by July of the previous year and currently accumulate approximately 2 million miles per week. Considering these figures and discussions with Waymo, the agency indicated a high likelihood of other prior similar incidents. Earlier this week, NHTSA investigators submitted a detailed list of questions to Waymo concerning these incidents. The agency requested documentation of similar occurrences and information on Waymo's responses, setting a deadline of January 20, 2026, for the company's reply.