Waymo Self-Driving Cars under Investigation after School Bus Incident
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a preliminary investigation into approximately 2,000 Waymo self-driving cars. NHTSA claims that the step of investigation probe step was taken after one of Waymo’s driverless taxis broke traffic laws near a stopped school bus in Atlanta, Georgia, on September 22, 2025.
The incident happened when a Waymo taxi failed to stop when it came across a stopped school bus. According to the report, the car paused for a moment but then drove around the front of the bus and continued along the other side. At that time, the red lights of the bus were flashing, and the stop sign as well as the crossing arm was extended. While this incident happened, students were getting off.
The investigation is being handled by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation. Official documents confirmed that the vehicle was operating under a fifth-generation Automated Driving System and it had no human driver inside.
A spokesperson from Waymo said that the company is aware of the investigation probe. The spokesperson explained that the bus was partly blocking a driveway that the Waymo car was exiting. The vehicle’s sensors could not clearly see the stop sign or red lights of the bus. The company said it has already incorporated software updates to improve the system and plans to add more changes to avoid similar incidents in the future.
This investigation has once again brought attention to the challenges of making self-driving cars safe and reliable in real-world traffic, especially when children and school zones are involved.
