U.S. auto safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into Waymo, Alphabet’s self-driving car unit, after reports that one of its robotaxis failed to stop properly for a school bus in Georgia. The probe, launched by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), covers about 2,000 vehicles equipped with Waymo’s fifth-generation Automated Driving System.
The investigation follows a media report showing a Waymo vehicle maneuvering around a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended while children were disembarking — a clear violation of school bus safety protocols. NHTSA said the vehicle initially stopped before moving around the bus, suggesting a potential software or perception failure.
Regulators noted that given Waymo’s extensive operations — the company’s autonomous cars have logged over 100 million miles and currently drive 2 million miles per week — similar incidents could have occurred previously. The agency emphasized the need to evaluate how Waymo’s technology responds to critical real-world safety cues, particularly around children and pedestrians.
Waymo acknowledged the event, saying it has already implemented software improvements to enhance behavior around school buses and will issue further updates soon. “Driving safely around children has always been one of our highest priorities,” a company spokesperson said, explaining that the vehicle’s sensors may not have initially detected the flashing signals due to its angle of approach.
The company operates a fleet of over 1,500 driverless vehicles in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin. The new probe comes months after NHTSA closed another 14-month investigation into Waymo’s earlier collisions with stationary objects, which led to two vehicle recalls.