WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched a safety investigation into the interactions between Waymo's autonomous vehicles and school buses in Austin, Texas. The inquiry focuses on incidents where the driverless cars failed to comply with laws designed to protect students during bus loading and unloading.
Waymo, the driverless ride-hailing company owned by Alphabet Inc., operates under a system that is required to enforce Texas state law. This law mandates that all vehicles must come to a complete stop when a school bus has its stop-arm extended and red lights flashing. Vehicles are prohibited from moving again until the bus resumes driving, a safeguard intended to ensure the safety of children boarding or exiting the bus.
According to several media reports, since the beginning of the school year in August, the local school district has documented at least 24 cases in which Waymo's robotaxis illegally passed a stopped school bus. Notably, several of these incidents occurred even after Waymo announced a voluntary recall of its vehicles to address the issue through a software update and met with district officials to discuss corrective measures.
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