Waymo robotaxi school bus safety software defect and remote birth incident
Waymo recalled 3,067 autonomous vehicles in the United States after a software flaw allowed its fifth-generation vehicles to pass stopped school buses with red lights and stop arms activated, violating state traffic safety laws. The company also reported an incident in which a woman in labor used a Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco and gave birth in the vehicle, which safely reached the hospital.
What happened
Waymo's fifth-generation automated driving system had a software defect that allowed autonomous vehicles to pass stopped school buses while red lights and stop arms were activated, violating traffic safety laws in all 50 states. Multiple incidents occurred beginning in October 2025 in Texas and Georgia, with Austin Independent School District reporting at least 20 incidents and Atlanta reporting six incidents by December 5, 2025.
The NHTSA issued a recall confirmation and required Waymo to conduct a software update on 3,067 vehicles before November 17, 2025. The repair was completed through remote software update without requiring user action.
Reported impact
The software defect created a violation of state traffic safety norms and increased the risk of accidents with pedestrians, particularly children in school zones.
In a separate incident in San Francisco, California, a pregnant woman used a Waymo robotaxi and gave birth inside the vehicle during transit to a hospital. The system detected unusual activity and activated remote assistance protocols to contact emergency services. The vehicle arrived at the hospital before emergency responders and the mother and child received immediate medical attention.
Index analysis
The defect reflected a failure of the autonomous system to correctly identify and respond to school bus safety signals, a critical safety requirement in traffic regulation.
Governance controls
NHTSA confirmed the defect and mandated the software update before November 17, 2025. Waymo confirmed the update was completed and reported the incident in its annual balance sheet.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.