US regulator checks whether Waymo recall fixed school bus failures

The US road safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), is investigating whether a Waymo software recall fixed its robotaxis’ failure to stop for school buses. The review matters because the agency says most reported incidents happened after the update was meant to address the problem.

The recall followed reports in Atlanta and Austin of Waymo vehicles passing stopped school buses displaying flashing red lights and stop signs. Waymo completed the software update across its fleet in November 2025; the NHTSA is now examining later reports and their causes. The agency has also opened a separate probe into a January incident in which a Waymo robotaxi hit a child in Santa Monica, while the National Transportation Safety Board is conducting its own school-bus investigation.