U.S. Investigates Waymo Driverless Cars Over School Bus Passing Incidents

U.S. safety regulators have opened an investigation into Waymo's driverless taxi fleet. The probe follows multiple incidents in Texas where the autonomous vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched its investigation after reviewing video evidence. The footage captured more than a dozen instances of Waymo's robotaxis failing to stop for buses with their stop signs extended. Federal law requires all traffic to halt for school buses that are loading or unloading children. The NHTSA's investigation will examine the performance of Waymo's self-driving system, specifically related to these traffic violations. Waymo, which operates a commercial robotaxi service, has not yet issued a public statement regarding the investigation. The NHTSA's probe will determine if a systemic safety defect exists in the vehicles' software.