The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the primary transportation safety regulator in the U.S., has initiated a preliminary investigation into approximately 2,000 Waymo self-driving vehicles. This investigation follows reports indicating that some of these autonomous robotaxis may not have adhered to traffic safety regulations concerning stopped school buses.
The probe is part of a broader federal examination of self-driving technologies, focusing on their interactions with pedestrians, cyclists, and other roadway users. NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation commenced this review after a media report described an incident where a Waymo vehicle failed to stop for a school bus that had its red lights flashing, stop arm extended, and crossing control arm deployed. The report stated that the Waymo vehicle initially halted next to the bus but subsequently maneuvered around the front, passing the deployed stop arm while children were getting off the bus.
Waymo has a fleet of over 1,500 robotaxis currently operating in several major U.S. cities, including Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, and New York City, with plans for further international expansion in cities like London by 2026 and Tokyo in subsequent years. In response to the recent incident, a Waymo spokesperson noted that the company has already made improvements regarding stopping for school buses and intends to implement additional software updates in its upcoming release. They emphasized that safely navigating around children is a key priority for Waymo.
According to NHTSA, the vehicle involved during the incident was operating with Waymo’s fifth-generation automated driving system and did not have a human safety driver present at the time.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/oct/20/waymo-robotaxi-investigation-safety-nhtsa