Waymo, the autonomous ride-hailing service, plans a voluntary software recall following multiple reports that its self-driving vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation in October after a media report showed a Waymo vehicle failing to stop for a school bus with flashing red lights and a deployed stop arm. The Austin Independent School District reported 19 similar incidents, including one where a student had just crossed the road.
Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña said, “holding the highest safety standards means recognizing when our behavior should be better,” and confirmed the company will file a voluntary recall with NHTSA early next week. Peña added that a software issue contributed to the incidents and that subsequent updates should resolve the problem. Waymo emphasizes its AVs have fewer crashes than human drivers and no injuries have occurred from these incidents.