NHTSA Launches Probe Into Waymo Robotaxis Over School Bus Violation

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has initiated a preliminary investigation into approximately 2,000 Waymo autonomous vehicles following a reported safety breach involving a stationary school bus in Atlanta. Federal and state traffic laws mandate all vehicles to halt when encountering a school bus with activated red lights and extended stop arms during student disembarkation.

Video evidence shows a Waymo vehicle initially pausing before maneuvering around the bus, passing its deployed stop arm while children were exiting. The incident marks the latest regulatory scrutiny of self-driving systems, with NHTSA emphasizing the potential for prior similar occurrences given Waymo's current operational scale of 2 million weekly autonomous miles.

While the company acknowledges the seriousness of the violation, it maintains active efforts to implement system improvements. This development underscores growing regulatory attention on autonomous vehicle interactions with vulnerable road users and existing traffic infrastructure.