US Opens Probe Into 2,895 Waymo Vehicles Over School Bus Violations
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a recall query into 2,895 Waymo autonomous vehicles to investigate ongoing safety violations involving school buses across several American cities. The inquiry focuses on whether a software update fully deployed by Alphabet’s self-driving unit in late 2025 failed to stop driverless cars from illegally passing school buses displaying flashing red lights or extended stop arms.
Federal Query Examines Post-Fix Violations Across Multiple States
Regulators opened the investigation after traffic violations continued to occur following Waymo’s completed software remedy. Official records from Austin, Texas, documented 19 distinct violations, including an incident where a driverless vehicle briefly stopped before moving forward while a student was actively crossing the street, alongside six additional violations logged by public schools in Atlanta, Georgia. In response, Waymo stated that the company has made significant improvements to vehicle behavior around school buses and has received no citations since March 2026.
The action follows a separate federal probe opened in January 2026 after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California.
