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Waymo robotaxis kept illegally passing school buses after software fix, feds say
US safety regulators have opened a new review of Waymo’s repair after reports that its robotaxis continued to pass stopped school buses with warning lights activated. The investigation will assess whether the software update adequately addressed the safety issue.
Waymo said the update was completed on all affected vehicles on 17 November 2025, but NHTSA said most reported incidents happened afterwards. The agency’s initial investigation began in October 2025, following an incident in Atlanta; Austin school officials also reported at least five cases. Waymo says it has received no citations since March 2026 and will respond to the latest query.
In short
- NHTSA is reviewing whether Waymo’s software fix worked.
- Most reported bus-passing incidents came after the update.
- Waymo says it has had no citations since March 2026.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Regulators have a strong case for renewed scrutiny: school buses with warning lights require drivers to stop, and reports of robotaxis passing them after a software fix raise questions about whether the repair worked in real conditions. Reviewing the timing and circumstances of the incidents can help establish whether children remain at risk and whether further corrective action is needed.
The case against
Waymo can reasonably argue that reports after an update do not by themselves show that the repair failed, since incidents may have different causes or involve vehicles and circumstances that need to be assessed individually. The company says the update was completed across affected vehicles and that it has received no citations since March 2026; a careful review should distinguish verified violations from reports before drawing conclusions.
Explained simply
Waymo is a company that operates self-driving taxis in several US cities. The vehicles use cameras and other sensors, guided by software, to navigate roads without a human driver controlling them.
In the United States, drivers must stop for school buses displaying warning lights so children can get on or off safely. That rule also applies to self-driving vehicles, making it important to understand how their software recognises buses and responds to them.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is the federal agency that investigates vehicle safety concerns. Its scrutiny of Waymo’s software repair concerns how regulators assess safety fixes when reports of risky behaviour continue after an update.
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Originally published by TechCrunch as “Waymo robotaxis kept illegally passing school buses after software fix, feds say”.