Waymo's Self-Driving Cars Under Scrutiny After School Bus Incident Spree in Texas
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, following a series of incidents involving its robotaxis and school buses in Austin, Texas. The incidents, which have resulted in at least two dozen violations, involve the automated vehicles failing to properly yield for buses with flashing lights and stop signs activated while they were loading or unloading students.
According to NTSB investigators, Waymo cars have received these citations on multiple occasions, despite being designed to safely navigate school bus encounters. In response to the incidents, the company has implemented a software update aimed at improving its safety performance around school buses.
However, despite this update, Waymo still faces criticism for its handling of the situation. The Austin Independent School District had requested that the company halt operations during hours when the district's school buses were operating, but Waymo reportedly refused to comply. The district and Waymo have since met to discuss ways to improve safety around school buses.
The NTSB investigation will take approximately 12-14 months to complete, with a preliminary report due within 30 days. This probe follows previous investigations into school bus safety by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has also expanded its own inquiry into Waymo following the Austin incidents.
Waymo maintains that it takes school bus safety seriously and that its automated vehicles have an excellent track record of safely navigating these encounters. However, critics argue that the company must do more to address these issues and ensure that its robots can coexist with human drivers in a way that prioritizes safety above all else.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched an investigation into Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, following a series of incidents involving its robotaxis and school buses in Austin, Texas. The incidents, which have resulted in at least two dozen violations, involve the automated vehicles failing to properly yield for buses with flashing lights and stop signs activated while they were loading or unloading students.
According to NTSB investigators, Waymo cars have received these citations on multiple occasions, despite being designed to safely navigate school bus encounters. In response to the incidents, the company has implemented a software update aimed at improving its safety performance around school buses.
However, despite this update, Waymo still faces criticism for its handling of the situation. The Austin Independent School District had requested that the company halt operations during hours when the district's school buses were operating, but Waymo reportedly refused to comply. The district and Waymo have since met to discuss ways to improve safety around school buses.
The NTSB investigation will take approximately 12-14 months to complete, with a preliminary report due within 30 days. This probe follows previous investigations into school bus safety by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which has also expanded its own inquiry into Waymo following the Austin incidents.
Waymo maintains that it takes school bus safety seriously and that its automated vehicles have an excellent track record of safely navigating these encounters. However, critics argue that the company must do more to address these issues and ensure that its robots can coexist with human drivers in a way that prioritizes safety above all else.
Like, shouldn't Waymo's self-driving cars be able to handle school bus encounters without any problems? They're basically designed for it! 
But apparently, they still managed to rack up like 2 dozen citations... what even is the point of having safety features if they're not working properly?! 
And yeah, I feel bad for the Austin Independent School District too, 'cause they just wanted to ensure their students' safety and Waymo kinda messed that up. 
Can't believe Waymo wouldn't comply with their request... it's just basic common sense! 
I'm not sure what's going on here... 2 dozen times? That's crazy! 
. I mean, you'd think a company that's all about self-driving tech would be extra careful around schools... especially with kids on board! 
Can't believe they're still saying their cars have an excellent track record of school bus safety... how can that be? 
don't be too hard on waymo they're trying their best here, but like we need to acknowledge this is a major issue and they can't just wave it away 
like, think about it if waymo's robots are having trouble yielding to school buses with flashing lights, what happens when they're on the road during rush hour or something? 
Like, who wants to risk a bunch of kids getting hurt because a robot can't properly yield to a school bus? 
The fact that Waymo refused to halt operations during school bus hours is just unacceptable, in my opinion. 
And what can we expect from the NTSB report? 
Either way, it's good to see some attention being shone on school bus safety, because let's be real, that's where our kids are most vulnerable. 
it's like they're trying to play it cool while still getting investigated by the NTSB.
It's not just about the citations or the software update - it's about making sure those cars can actually prioritize human life over, you know, programming 
. I mean, if the Austin Independent School District is telling them to halt ops during school bus hours, shouldn't they listen? 
It's a big responsibility, being in charge of a fleet of robotaxis... and maybe Waymo should take some time to figure out how to get this right 
, but when it comes to safety, you gotta get it right 
.
. I mean, asking the school district if they could just "pause" operations during school hours? That's not exactly reassuring 
. And now, there's another investigation underway 
... it's time for them to step up and show us that their tech can be trusted 
.
. They need to make sure their robots are working with human drivers, not against them 
. It's time for some serious soul-searching 
i get why they need to improve their safety protocols, but it's also frustrating that they didn't just listen to the school district and take precautions during peak hours 
can you imagine being a parent in that situation? 
And what's up with Waymo not listening to the school district's concerns about halting operations during bus hours? 
Not saying Waymo is trying to hurt anyone, but their inaction is raising some major red flags 
. I mean, who wants to rely on a self-driving car that can't even follow basic traffic rules? It's not just about the safety of the kids on the bus, it's also about making sure these cars are safe for everyone else on the road 
. The NTSB investigation is a good step in the right direction, but we need to see some real changes and consequences for Waymo if they can't get their act together 
So yeah, my mind is totally blown by this whole thing 
. The fact that they had multiple citations despite being designed to handle school bus encounters is a major red flag 
. And yeah, it's concerning that they refused to comply with the Austin Independent School District's request to halt operations during busy hours 
. I hope Waymo comes out of this with some real improvements to their safety protocols 
. The NTSB's focus on school bus safety is also a good sign, as it shows they're taking this issue seriously 
️. Either way, I hope we can learn from this incident and make our roads safer for everyone 
I'm like "what's going on with Waymo?! 
And seriously, why did they refuse to work with the Austin Independent School District? 
We can't always rely on technology to save us in an emergency.
.
its not like they were tryin 2 run ppl down or anythin 
. lets not forget NTSB's gonna investigate & report back - maybe this is just a case of ppl needin 2 calm down 