The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has initiated an investigation into Waymo’s autonomous vehicles following reports of them illegally passing stopped school buses in multiple incidents across two states. The NTSB is specifically focusing on over 20 occurrences in Austin, Texas, where Waymo’s robotaxis failed to adhere to school bus loading and unloading rules.
According to a statement to TechCrunch, the NTSB will conduct a thorough inquiry into these incidents, aiming to release a preliminary report within 30 days and a more detailed final report within 12 to 24 months. This investigation marks the first NTSB probe into Waymo for this issue, complementing a similar investigation opened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) earlier.
Waymo had previously issued a software recall in December to address these concerns, but the problem persisted. The company faced requests from the Austin school district to suspend operations during school bus pickup and drop-off times due to these repeated violations.
Waymo continues its nationwide expansion, recently launching a robotaxi service in Miami alongside existing operations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. The company’s Chief Safety Officer, Mauricio Peña, emphasized Waymo’s commitment to safety, noting that their technology has shown superior performance compared to human drivers in encounters with school buses.
Source: TechCrunch