Federal Regulators Open New Probe After Waymo Robotaxis Keep Passing Stopped School Buses

A software patch meant to stop autonomous vehicles from breaking traffic laws failed to keep them out of trouble. Federal safety regulators have opened a new investigation into Waymo after its robotaxis continued illegally passing stopped school buses with flashing red lights. Nearly a year ago, the company issued a recall and updated its software to fix this exact hazard.

Yet the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that a majority of the newly documented infractions occurred after that fix rolled out. This failure points to a stark limitation in current autonomous fleet management. Software updates cannot always correct complex real-world driving behaviors once deployed at scale. The initial federal probe began in October 2025 after a robotaxi crossed in front of an unloading bus in Atlanta.

Numerous other incidents followed in Austin, where local school district officials reported at least five violations. Our read is that regulatory patience for software-based self-corrections is wearing thin. If a patch fails to stop vehicles from ignoring school bus safety lights, regulators may demand more than remote code updates.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation is now assessing the adequacy of the remedy.

Watch whether federal officials push for hardware changes or tougher operational restrictions as the probe unfolds.