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NTSB Opens Investigation into Waymo Over Incidents Involving School Buses
2026-01-24
The BareStory
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into Waymo’s autonomous vehicle operations following a series of incidents in Austin, Texas. The federal probe focuses on reports that Waymo robotaxis failed to properly yield to school buses while they were loading or unloading students with stop signs and lights activated.
According to available reports, the inquiry involves approximately two dozen alleged violations where school buses were transporting children. NTSB investigators are scheduled to travel to Austin to gather evidence. Officials stated that a preliminary report is expected within 30 days, while the full investigation could take between 12 and 14 months to complete.
Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña stated that no collisions occurred during the events in question. Peña asserted that the company’s vehicles safely navigate thousands of interactions with school buses weekly and argued that their safety performance exceeds that of human drivers. Waymo noted that it deployed a software update in November intended to address the issue, though additional violations have reportedly occurred since that time.
The Austin Independent School District previously requested that Waymo suspend vehicle operations during hours when school buses are active. A district spokesperson stated that the company refused this request. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has also expanded its own inquiry into the company regarding these incidents.
Left Perspective
Absence of physical collisions
Comparison to human safety records
Implementation of corrective software
Right Perspective
Persistence of reported violations
Refusal to limit operations
Escalation of federal scrutiny
Left Perspective
• Absence of physical collisions
Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña emphasized that no crashes occurred during the specific incidents under review. The company maintains that its autonomous vehicles operated without physical contact while navigating the reported scenarios involving school transportation.
• Comparison to human safety records
Peña argued that the company’s automated driving systems perform better than human drivers regarding safety metrics. He noted that Waymo vehicles successfully handle thousands of interactions with school buses every week without incident.
• Implementation of corrective software
Waymo highlighted that it deployed a specific software update in November intended to resolve the yielding issue. This measure was taken to address the behavior of the robotaxis when encountering school buses with activated lights and stop signs.
Right Perspective
• Persistence of reported violations
The NTSB inquiry focuses on approximately two dozen allegations that robotaxis failed to yield to buses loading or unloading children. Reports indicate that additional violations have occurred even after the company deployed a software update in November meant to fix the problem.
• Refusal to limit operations
The Austin Independent School District requested that Waymo suspend its vehicle operations during hours when school buses are active on the roads. According to a district spokesperson, the company declined this request to halt operations during those specific times.
• Escalation of federal scrutiny
Both the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have launched or expanded inquiries into the company's operations. NTSB investigators are scheduled to travel to Austin to gather evidence, with a full investigation expected to take over a year.
How it may affect me
As a U.S. reader:
• Residents in areas with robotaxis may observe ongoing issues with vehicles yielding to school buses, despite company claims that no physical collisions have occurred during these interactions.
• You may witness stricter federal scrutiny of autonomous vehicle operations, as NTSB and NHTSA investigations could lead to new regulatory standards over the next 12 to 14 months.
• Technical reliability regarding traffic laws remains in question, as reports indicate that software updates designed to fix yielding violations have not fully resolved the issue.
• Autonomous ride services will likely remain active during school transit hours, as the operator has refused requests from school districts to suspend operations while buses are on the road.
