NTSB Launches Investigation into Waymo Robotaxis Bypassing Stopped School Buses

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Friday that it is launching an investigation into Waymo, the self-driving car subsidiary of Alphabet, following reports of its robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas. This troubling behavior has been documented at least 19 times since the beginning of the school year.

In December, Waymo recalled over 3,000 vehicles to implement a software update aimed at addressing the issue of vehicles driving past stopped school buses that were loading or unloading students. This situation raised significant safety concerns, as it increased the risk of potential crashes. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a probe in October into Waymo vehicles operating near school buses.

In response to the investigation, Waymo stated that there were no collisions associated with these incidents. The company emphasized that its self-driving system, known as the Waymo Driver, “safely navigates thousands of school bus encounters weekly across the United States.” Waymo expressed confidence in its safety performance, asserting that it is “superior to human drivers.”

A letter from the Austin Independent School District, posted by NHTSA on November 20, indicated that five incidents occurred in November after Waymo’s software updates were implemented to resolve the issue. The school district requested that Waymo suspend operations around schools during pick-up and drop-off times until it could ensure compliance with the law. However, in December, the school district informed Reuters that Waymo had declined to halt its operations in these sensitive areas.

A lawyer representing the school district expressed serious concerns, stating, “We cannot allow Waymo to continue endangering our students while it attempts to implement a fix.” The lawyer highlighted a specific incident where a Waymo vehicle was “recorded driving past a stopped school bus only moments after a student crossed in front of the vehicle, and while the student was still in the road.”

Topics
K-12

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on Friday that it is launching an investigation into Waymo, the self-driving car subsidiary of Alphabet, following reports of its robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas. This troubling behavior has been documented at least 19 times since the beginning of the school year.

In December, Waymo recalled over 3,000 vehicles to implement a software update aimed at addressing the issue of vehicles driving past stopped school buses that were loading or unloading students. This situation raised significant safety concerns, as it increased the risk of potential crashes. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated a probe in October into Waymo vehicles operating near school buses.

In response to the investigation, Waymo stated that there were no collisions associated with these incidents. The company emphasized that its self-driving system, known as the Waymo Driver, “safely navigates thousands of school bus encounters weekly across the United States.” Waymo expressed confidence in its safety performance, asserting that it is “superior to human drivers.”

A letter from the Austin Independent School District, posted by NHTSA on November 20, indicated that five incidents occurred in November after Waymo’s software updates were implemented to resolve the issue. The school district requested that Waymo suspend operations around schools during pick-up and drop-off times until it could ensure compliance with the law. However, in December, the school district informed Reuters that Waymo had declined to halt its operations in these sensitive areas.

A lawyer representing the school district expressed serious concerns, stating, “We cannot allow Waymo to continue endangering our students while it attempts to implement a fix.” The lawyer highlighted a specific incident where a Waymo vehicle was “recorded driving past a stopped school bus only moments after a student crossed in front of the vehicle, and while the student was still in the road.”

Topics
K-12