Waymo Recalls Software for Robotaxi School Bus Safety
▼ Summary
– Waymo is voluntarily issuing a software recall with federal regulators to address how its robotaxis operate around school buses.
– The recall follows NHTSA investigations and criticism from officials in Atlanta and Austin over incidents where robotaxis improperly passed stopped school buses.
– Waymo had already issued a software update on November 17 to improve performance, which it claims now exceeds human driver safety in this area.
– The NHTSA’s investigation was prompted by specific incidents, including one in Atlanta where a Waymo vehicle crossed in front of a bus with its stop sign extended.
– The company emphasizes no injuries occurred from this behavior and states safety is its top priority, committing to further updates and cooperation with regulators.
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, is preparing to file a voluntary software recall with federal safety officials. This action focuses on how its self-driving taxis interact with school buses, a critical area of road safety. The company states the recall will be formally submitted early next week, following a software update it deployed on November 17 to address the identified behavior. Waymo contends this update has already meaningfully improved performance, claiming its vehicles now operate at a level better than human drivers in these specific scenarios.
This move comes amid heightened attention from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and criticism from local officials in cities like Atlanta and Austin. The agency’s Office of Defects Investigation began a preliminary inquiry in October after reviewing footage from Atlanta. The video showed a Waymo robotaxi navigating around a stopped school bus that had its stop sign extended and lights flashing while children were unloading. In the incident, the autonomous vehicle crossed perpendicularly in front of the bus from the right side, then turned left around the front of the bus before proceeding down the street.
Further reports emerged from Austin, where Waymo operates a service in partnership with Uber. Officials from the Austin School District documented additional incidents, asserting in a letter on the NHTSA website that at least five occurred after Waymo’s stated software update. On December 3, regulators sent a formal information request to Waymo following district reports that its robotaxis illegally passed school buses 19 times this year. The letter sought detailed data on the company’s fifth-generation self-driving system and its operational protocols.
Software recalls have become a standard part of maintaining modern vehicles and robotaxis, where core functions are managed by code. Companies often deploy updates proactively, but formally filing a recall with authorities underscores the seriousness of the issue. Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer, Mauricio Peña, emphasized the company’s commitment to safety in a statement. “We are incredibly proud of our strong safety record,” Peña said, noting that Waymo’s vehicles are involved in twelve times fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians compared to human drivers. “Holding the highest safety standards means recognizing when our behavior should be better. As a result, we have made the decision to file a voluntary software recall with NHTSA related to appropriately slowing and stopping in these scenarios.”
The company confirmed that no injuries are linked to the vehicle behavior addressed by this recall. It reiterated that safety remains its top priority and pledged ongoing cooperation with NHTSA. This is not Waymo’s first software recall; the company issued one earlier this year and two others in 2024. One of those was filed after a Waymo vehicle in Phoenix, operating without a human safety driver, collided with a telephone pole during a low-speed pullover maneuver in an alley. Waymo says it will continue to monitor performance, investigate issues, and implement further updates as necessary to ensure safe operations.
(Source: TechCrunch)
