Waymo Self-Driving Vehicles Passed Stopped School Buses at Least 19 Times, NHTSA Investigation
Waymo's autonomous vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses at least 19 times in Austin and once in Atlanta between August and November 2025, with violations continuing after a November software update. NHTSA opened an investigation in October 2025, and Waymo filed a voluntary software recall in December.
What happened
Between August and November 2025, Waymo's autonomous vehicles passed stopped school buses in Austin, Texas at least 19 times and in Atlanta at least once, failing to comply with laws requiring vehicles to stop for school buses with red lights flashing and stop arms deployed.
According to the Austin Independent School District, at least five violations occurred after Waymo issued a November 5, 2025 software update that the company said would resolve the issue. One incident involved a Waymo vehicle passing a stopped school bus while a student was still in the road.
Waymo filed a voluntary software recall with NHTSA in December 2025. The company's Chief Safety Officer stated the recall addressed 'appropriately slowing and stopping in these scenarios.'
Reported impact
NHTSA expressed concern that the system failure may increase the risk of crashes or injuries to students. No injuries have been reported in connection with the incidents.
The Austin Independent School District reported that Waymo vehicles were averaging 1.5 violations per week and requested the company cease operations in the area on November 20, 2025. Waymo denied the request the same day.
Index analysis
The incidents indicate a failure in the autonomous driving system's ability to recognize and respond appropriately to school bus stop signals, a safety-critical scenario. The continued violations after the November 5 software update suggest the initial fix was incomplete.
Governance controls
NHTSA opened a formal investigation in October 2025 into Waymo's automated driving system and requested documentation of the company's response to similar incidents by January 20, 2026.
This was Waymo's fourth recall in two years, according to company statements.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.