On Thursday (local time), the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it had launched an investigation into Waymo, the autonomous - driving firm owned by Alphabet. The NHTSA is seeking further clarification regarding numerous alleged instances of Waymo's self - driving cars illegally passing stopped school buses in Texas. According to the Austin Independent School District in Texas, since the beginning of the current school year, 19 related incidents have been documented, all of which involved Waymo's self - driving vehicles.

On December 3, the NHTSA sent a letter to Waymo, demanding detailed information about the design and operation of its fifth - generation autonomous driving system. This represents the second investigation of such incidents by the agency within a two - month period. Previously, the NHTSA obtained a video showing a Waymo self - driving car driving past a school bus in Atlanta. The bus was in the process of picking up and dropping off students, with its stop sign extended and warning lights flashing.

Waymo explained that the school bus partially blocked the entrance to the lane, which led to its autonomous driving system's failure to detect the warning lights or the stop sign. The company also stated that it had rolled out a software update to enhance system performance. However, the problem continued. The Austin school district reported that since the start of the 2025 - 26 school year, there have been 19 cases of Waymo self - driving cars illegally passing stopped school buses. At least five of these incidents occurred after Waymo claimed to have finished the software update.

In light of the ongoing safety hazards, the Austin school district has urged Waymo to halt operations during peak times when students are being dropped off and picked up. This suspension should remain in effect until Waymo conducts more in - depth software updates and ensures that its vehicles comply with the law.