Waymo Faces U.S. Scrutiny After Self-Driving Cars Pass School Buses in Texas

Post by : Saif Nasser

The safety of children is at the center of a growing controversy involving Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet. U.S. officials are demanding answers after reports that Waymo’s autonomous cars in Texas illegally passed stopped school buses at least 19 times since the school year began. These incidents have raised serious concerns about how safely self-driving technology can operate around children and school zones.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which oversees vehicle safety in the United States, had already opened an investigation in October. That earlier probe came after a Waymo vehicle in Georgia failed to stop properly for a school bus that had its red lights flashing and its stop arm extended — a clear legal requirement everywhere in the country.

But new information from the Austin Independent School District has intensified the issue. In a letter sent on November 20, the district said five of the 19 Texas incidents happened even after Waymo told officials it had updated its software to fix the problem. The district urged the company to temporarily stop operating its self-driving cars near schools during pick-up and drop-off hours.

The district’s lawyer warned that Waymo’s vehicles were posing a real danger to children, noting one case in which a Waymo car drove past a stopped bus just moments after a student crossed the street. The child was still in the roadway when the vehicle passed — a situation that could have ended in tragedy.

After receiving this information, NHTSA asked Waymo on November 24 whether it would agree to stop operating near schools at busy times. The agency also asked whether Waymo’s software fix was effective and whether the company planned to file a recall to correct the issue.

Despite these concerns, the school district told Reuters that Waymo has refused to halt its operations. Worse, another incident was recorded on December 1 involving a self-driving car near an actively loading school bus. This suggests that the software updates still have not solved the problem.

Waymo responded with a short statement but did not directly answer why it will not pause its operations around Austin schools. The company said it takes school bus interactions seriously and has already made software changes, promising to keep improving.

However, these reassurances have not satisfied federal investigators. In a new letter sent Wednesday, NHTSA demanded detailed information from Waymo. The agency wants answers by January 20 about every school bus incident, the software changes made, and any future steps planned to address safety concerns.

This situation highlights a bigger challenge for self-driving technology. While autonomous vehicles are designed to reduce accidents caused by human error, they must also recognize complex situations — like school buses, flashing lights, and unpredictable crossings — where even a small mistake can put children at risk.

For families, schools, and regulators, the question is simple: can self-driving cars be trusted to protect the most vulnerable road users? Waymo now faces growing pressure to prove that its technology is safe and its decisions responsible.

The coming weeks will show whether the company will make stronger commitments or whether regulators will take further action to ensure children’s safety.