At Least 19 Cases of Waymo Illegally Passing Stopped School Buses Detected
In the United States, a series of incidents have been uncovered in which vehicles operated by Waymo, Alphabet's autonomous driving subsidiary, ignored and illegally passed stopped school buses, sparking controversy. The U.S. federal government has now launched a full-scale investigation into the matter.
Waymo has recently been aggressively expanding its service areas, which were previously limited to Phoenix, Texas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. In some regions, the company has even started highway driving services, raising additional concerns.
According to Yonhap News, citing major foreign media outlets on December 5, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting a formal investigation into an incident in which a Waymo autonomous vehicle illegally passed a stopped school bus in Georgia last October.
In the United States, when a school bus stops with its red lights flashing and stop sign extended, all vehicles are prohibited from passing or overtaking it. However, Texas authorities have reported that since the start of the current school year, there have been at least 19 cases of Waymo vehicles illegally overtaking school buses.
Some of these incidents were particularly dangerous. According to the attorney for the Austin Independent School District, a Waymo vehicle overtook a school bus while a student was getting off and crossing the road. The attorney argued, "Until the issue is resolved, Waymo should refrain from operating near schools during pick-up and drop-off hours."
In its inquiry, the NHTSA referenced the Texas incidents and asked whether Waymo could suspend operations during student pick-up and drop-off times, whether software modifications had been implemented to address the issue, and whether a related recall was planned. The Austin Independent School District also reported another violation on December 1, emphasizing, "This shows that the programming changes have not resolved the problem."
In a video released by NBC, a Waymo vehicle is seen hesitating and passing right next to a police car that was blocking the road, while officers ordered a suspect to exit their vehicle and lie on the ground. Additionally, two Waymo vehicles were observed weaving between lanes in a zigzag pattern inside a two-lane tunnel. There were also instances of running red lights and failing to stop at stop lines.
At the end of October, in San Francisco, a local cat named "KitKat," beloved by neighbors, was struck and killed by a Waymo vehicle. Furthermore, the local newspaper, the San Francisco Chronicle, reported that at the end of last month, another incident occurred in which a Waymo vehicle collided with a small dog in the same city.
On November 28, in Los Angeles, a Waymo vehicle even drove through the middle of a standoff between a crime suspect and police.
Waymo declined to comment on whether it would suspend operations or issue a recall. The company did state that its vehicles have driven 96 million miles (155 million kilometers) without a human driver, and that the rate of serious accidents is 91% lower compared to human drivers.
In an official statement, Waymo said, "Student safety is our top priority, and we are deeply committed to ensuring safe interactions with school buses. We have promptly updated the relevant software and will continue to make improvements going forward."
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