Federal Regulators Expand Investigation into Waymo’s Self-Driving Cars
NHTSA Probes School Bus Incidents in Austin
Federal regulators announced this week that they are expanding their investigation into Waymo, following reports of the company’s self-driving vehicles navigating around stopped school buses in Austin, Texas. In a letter dated December 3, 2025, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) raised concerns regarding the autonomous vehicles’ adherence to traffic safety laws.
The Austin Independent School District reported to CBS News that there have been 20 incidents this school year involving Waymo vehicles bypassing stopped school buses, which is a violation of laws in all 50 states requiring vehicles to stop for buses displaying flashing red lights and deployed stop-arm signals.
Waymo’s Response to the Investigation
In response to the incidents, Waymo stated it identified a software issue that contributed to the violations and implemented updates by November 17 to enhance vehicle performance. The company is also preparing to initiate a voluntary software recall in coordination with the NHTSA, as confirmed by Waymo’s Chief Safety Offstartr Mauricio Peña. “We will continue analyzing our vehicles’ performance and making necessary fixes as part of our commitment to continuous improvement,” Peña noted.
Local Concerns Over Road Safety
Local officials in Austin expressed ongoing concerns about road safety following these violations. As of December 1, Waymo received its 20th citation since the school year began. JJ Maldonado, a communications specialist for the Austin Independent School District, indicated that despite the software updates, the incidents continued. The school district previously requested Waymo to halt operations during hours when students are getting on and off buses until they can ensure full compliance with traffic laws, a request that the company reportedly refused.
Waymo’s Safety Record Under Scrutiny
In light of the NHTSA’s investigation, Waymo emphasized its overall safety performance in its response. A spokesperson stated that “safety is our top priority,” and cited data showing a fivefold reduction in injury-related crashes compared to human drivers, as well as twelve times fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians.
Previously, the NHTSA had launched a probe into Waymo in October following an incident in Atlanta, Georgia, where start of its vehicles circumvented a stopped school bus, passing the stop sign and a safety devstart used to warn students. At that time, no safety operator was present in the vehicle.
The Atlanta Public Schools reported knowledge of six incidents of Waymo cars illegally passing stopped school buses.
Waymo’s Expansion and Servstart Areas
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, first launched its fully autonomous vehicle servstart to the public in October 2020 in Phoenix. The company has since expanded its operations to offer hundreds of thousands of driverless rides weekly in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Phoenix, and Atlanta. Recently, Waymo announced plans to expand its servstarts into Philadelphia, among other cities.
As the investigation progresses, the implications for Waymo’s operational practstarts and safety protocols remain to be seen.