• The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating multiple incidents of Waymo autonomous vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas.
  • The Austin Independent School District (AISD) has documented at least 19 separate instances since August 2025 and has requested Waymo remove its vehicles from roads during school hours.
  • Waymo has acknowledged a software issue and implemented updates, but violations reportedly continued, prompting ongoing discussions with city officials.

A Pattern of Violations

Federal regulators have opened an investigation into Waymo's autonomous vehicle operations following a series of incidents in Austin where its driverless cars repeatedly passed stopped school buses. According to people familiar with the matter, the NHTSA probe was triggered by formal complaints from the Austin Independent School District, which has compiled video evidence of at least 19 separate violations since the current school year began. In each case, Waymo vehicles allegedly passed buses with red lights flashing and stop signs extended, a clear breach of traffic law designed to protect children.

The school district's assistant police chief, Travis Pickford, stated bluntly that "until the problem is fixed," Waymo vehicles should not be operating on their roadways. This sentiment has fueled a tense standoff between the district and the Alphabet Inc.-backed company, which has been expanding its commercial robotaxi service in the city. AISD has formally requested that Waymo pull its fleet from Austin streets during critical morning and afternoon school transit windows, a move that would significantly curtail its service hours.

Software Fixes and Ongoing Failures

Waymo has acknowledged the core problem stems from a software issue. A company spokesperson confirmed that updates have been deployed to address the specific scenario of recognizing and responding to stopped school buses. "We take this matter seriously and have implemented fixes," the spokesperson said, reiterating the company's commitment to safety. However, according to AISD officials, violations were recorded even after these initial software patches were applied, suggesting the fix may not have been comprehensive or that new edge cases emerged.

This isn't the first operational hiccup for Waymo in recent months. A separate incident in Arizona, where a passenger reported being trapped in a vehicle circling a Phoenix airport parking lot, was also attributed to a software glitch later resolved by an update. The company's director of product management operations has previously noted that "people should not expect perfection," framing such events as learning opportunities. Yet, the repeated nature of the school bus violations, with clear video documentation from bus-mounted cameras, has escalated concerns beyond typical beta-testing growing pains.

Regulatory and Municipal Scrutiny Intensifies

The NHTSA's involvement marks a formal escalation in government oversight of autonomous vehicle safety protocols. Meanwhile, at the local level, Austin city officials have been tracking autonomous vehicle incidents since July 2023 and are intensifying their response. The city's police department is scheduled to meet with Waymo representatives to discuss the violations during the municipality's regular monthly meeting with the company, according to sources briefed on the plans.

The situation presents a complex challenge for regulators balancing innovation with public safety. For Waymo, the probe and the public fallout threaten its carefully cultivated narrative of being "the world's most trusted driver." The company must now demonstrate not only that its software can be corrected but also that its validation and deployment processes are robust enough to prevent recurring failures in high-stakes scenarios involving vulnerable road users. The outcome of the NHTSA investigation could influence operational permits for Waymo and its competitors in cities nationwide.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the number of documented incidents. The Austin Independent School District has recorded at least 19 separate instances, not 9.