Screenshot of one of many incidents of a Waymo robotaxi illegally passing a stopped college bus. | Credit score: Austin ISD
Waymo this week plans to file a voluntary software program recall for its robotaxis. The recall is in response to the corporate’s robotaxis illegally passing stopped college buses in a variety of incidents throughout totally different states.
In September, WXIA-TV in Atlanta aired a video exhibiting a Waymo illegally passing a stopped college bus. A month later, the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation into Waymo round “visitors security violations regarding stopping when encountering a faculty bus, significantly when the bus is boarding or offboarding college students.”
In its investigation, the NHTSA mentioned a Waymo autonomous automobile (AV) failed to stay stopped when approaching a faculty bus that was stopped with its lights flashing, cease arm deployed, and a crossing management arm deployed. No security driver was within the automobile through the incident, and the automobile was working utilizing Waymo’s Fifth-generation driver. As a part of the investigation, the NHTSA issued a listing of detailed questions concerning the incidents to Waymo.
The NHTSA web site additionally features a letter from the Austin Impartial College District, signed by the district’s senior counsel. Within the letter, college district officers say they’ve recorded 19 totally different situations of a Waymo robotaxi “illegally and dangerously” passing Austin college buses for the reason that 2025-2026 college 12 months. Moreover, a type of incidents concerned a Waymo automobile passing a faculty bus “solely moments after a scholar crossed in entrance of the automobile, and whereas the coed was nonetheless within the street.”
In line with the letter, 5 of those incidents occurred after Waymo assured the college district that it had issued software program updates that may treatment the difficulty. Within the letter, the Austin Impartial College District requested Waymo stop operations through the occasions college buses can be loading and unloading.
Waymo chief security officer Mauricio Peña despatched the next assertion to The Robotic Report: “Whereas we’re extremely pleased with our sturdy security document exhibiting Waymo experiences twelve occasions fewer damage crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers, holding the best security requirements means recognizing when our conduct ought to be higher. Because of this, we’ve got made the choice to file a voluntary software program recall with NHTSA associated to appropriately slowing and stopping in these eventualities. We’ll proceed analyzing our autos’ efficiency and making mandatory fixes as a part of our dedication to steady enchancment.”
Waymo informed NPR it has recognized the software program problem that contributed to the incidents and believes subsequent updates will repair the difficulty. No accidents have occurred throughout these points, in keeping with Waymo.
Waymo’s security document thus far
In line with NHTSA, Waymo’s robotaxis surpassed 100 million miles of driving in July 2025, and the corporate continues to build up 2 million miles every week. The corporate at the moment operates autonomous robotaxis in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. Within the U.S., Waymo robotaxis have already pushed greater than 10 million paid rides.
Waymo final issued a voluntary recall in Might 2025, when it recalled 1,212 robotaxis to handle dangers of collisions with chains, gates, and different roadway boundaries. The corporate mentioned it resolved the underlying software program problem by way of a November 2024 replace that lowered the probability of these kinds of occasions.
In line with Waymo’s personal security information, its autos had been concerned in 91% fewer severe accidents or worse crashes, no matter who’s at fault for the crash. Moreover, its autos had been in 92% fewer pedestrian crashes than human drivers.
The corporate shall be beneath rising scrutiny because it continues to increase its service. Waymo intends to increase or launch companies in Nashville, Las Vegas, San Diego, Detroit, Washington D.C., Miami, Dallas, Seattle, Houston, Orlando, San Antonio, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Denver within the coming years.
As well as, Waymo is planning to convey its know-how abroad. It mentioned it desires to deploy in London in 2026, and it has already deployed check autos in Tokyo to study native visitors patterns.
Waymo dominates the robotaxi area within the U.S., however there are a variety of firms making an attempt to catch up. In June 2025, Tesla launched a robotaxi service in Austin. Zoox, an Amazon subsidiary, launched its first public service in San Francisco in November 2025. Moreover, Nuro, a Mountain View, Calif.-based startup, lately closed a Collection E spherical of $203 million at a $6 billion valuation.
The Robotic Report named Waymo its Robotic of the Yr in 2025.
