Regulators investigate Waymo after robot taxi drove around stopped school bus

Federal safety regulators launched an investigation after Waymo robotaxis were recently spotted driving around school buses with flashing red lights.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Monday morning that its Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has launched an investigation after footage from early October showed a Waymo self-driving vehicle swerving around a parked school bus that was dropping off children in Atlanta, Georgia.

ODI said in the document that it will examine how Waymo’s self-driving software performs around parked school buses and how the system is designed to comply with bus-related regulations. NHTSA said Monday that given its previous involvement with Waymo, “it is likely that similar incidents have occurred before.”

The Waymo robotaxi in question crossed in front of the school bus at a right angle. The self-driving car then turned left in front of the bus and drove down the street. Waymo said the bus was blocking part of the driveway where the robotaxis depart. The company claims the robotaxi could not recognize flashing lights or stop signs. Waymo did not immediately respond to questions about how students exited the bus or whether the bus’s control arms were visible from the vehicle.

“Safety is our top priority as we deliver hundreds of thousands of fully self-driving paid trips each week in some of the most challenging driving environments in the United States,” the company said in a statement, citing data showing its vehicles have fewer crashes than human-driven vehicles. “NHTSA plays an important role in road safety, and we will continue to work with them as part of our mission to be the world’s most trusted drivers.”

Waymo also announced Monday that it has already issued software updates to its fleet to improve performance.

This year has been a year of expansion for Waymo. The company started operations in Atlanta, brought robotaxis to Austin, expanded across Silicon Valley, and is testing in many other metropolitan areas, including New York City. Trials are also underway at San Jose and San Francisco airports, with more cities planned for 2026.

Part of the adoption process in a new city is to expose the self-driving system to new scenarios and learn from them, but it’s safe to say that Atlanta isn’t the first time Waymo’s robotaxis have seen school buses.

This is not the first time NHTSA has launched an investigation into Waymo’s self-driving cars. In 2023, NHTSA investigated reports that Waymo vehicles were struggling with road barriers such as gates and chains at low speeds. The investigation ultimately led to a recall in May, which Waymo addressed with a software update. Last year, the agency announced an investigation centered on reports of Waymo vehicles veering into the wrong lane or into construction zones.