The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into nearly 3,000 Waymo vehicles following concerns that the autonomous cars are failing to safely navigate around school buses. The probe is specifically looking into whether a software patch, which Waymo claimed to have fully implemented late last year to fix these safety issues, has actually been effective. Regulators are concerned because a significant number of reports involving vehicles driving past school buses with activated flashing red lights or extended stop arms occurred after the supposed software remedy was already in place.

Waymo has defended its safety record, asserting that it has seen major improvements in how its fleet interacts with school buses, noting that there have been no reported citations since March 2026. However, the federal inquiry comes amid a series of troubling incidents, including a collision involving a child near a California elementary school and multiple reports from school districts in Texas and Georgia describing robotaxis failing to yield to children crossing the street. The NHTSA is now tasked with determining if the company’s previous recall measures were sufficient or if further corrective actions are necessary to ensure the safety of students on the road.