US probes Waymo robotaxis over school bus safety incidents

The US National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into Waymo after its robotaxis reportedly passed stopped school buses in Austin, Texas, at least 19 times since the start of the school year.

Waymo recalled over 3,000 vehicles in December to update software tied to the incidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also opened a probe in October into Waymo vehicles near school buses.

Waymo said no collisions occurred and said its system is designed to operate safely around school buses.

The Austin Independent School District reported five incidents in November after software updates and requested Waymo to suspend operations around schools during pick-up and drop-off times, but the company reportedly declined.

The school district expressed concern over the safety of students and cited a specific incident involving a vehicle passing a stopped bus while a student was still in the road.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Key details on the defect and regulatory risk should be checked

The technical reason the self-driving system failed to avoid illegally passing stopped school buses has not been specified.
It should be clarified whether the issue was caused by camera or LiDAR (a laser-based sensor that helps a vehicle map its surroundings) perception, or by a logic mistake in the decision-making software. The robustness of Waymo’s software update cannot be assessed without that detail.
More than 3,000 vehicles were recalled in December to receive a software update after vehicles drove past stopped school buses while students were loading or unloading. Waymo robotaxis were said by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to have illegally passed stopped school buses in Austin at least 19 times since the start of the school year. The total number of school bus encounters has not been provided, so a failure rate cannot be calculated.
An investigation has been opened by the NTSB, and a probe was opened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in October. Potential outcomes such as operating limits or fines have not been detailed.

A market emerges for real-time school bus safety data

Austin Independent School District reported five cases in November after Waymo software updates that were intended to fix the problem. This reinforces how hard the issue is even after patches.
Data providers can build a standard service that sends real-time telemetry from school buses, including precise location and stop-arm status, through an API (application programming interface, a standard way for software systems to exchange data).
Potential buyers include autonomous fleet operators plus last-mile delivery services.
Such a feed could add a safety backstop, and it could also help reduce operational disputes and regulatory scrutiny like the conflict between Waymo and the Austin Independent School District.