Workflow #2921
✓ CompletedType: scraped_article_processing
Started: December 05, 2025 at 4:30:13 AM
Completed: December 05, 2025 at 1:33:16 PM
Completed in 543m 2s
Triggered by: ingestion
Job Pipeline
clean_markdown_article
✓ completed→
analyze_article
✓ completed→
extract_entities
✓ completed→
analyze_sentiment
✓ completedclean_markdown_article
✓ CompletedPending
analyze_article
✓ CompletedPending
extract_entities
✓ CompletedPending
analyze_sentiment
✓ CompletedPending
Workflow Context
title:US probes reports Waymo self-driving cars illegally passed school buses 19 times in Texas
source:Reuters
content:
A Waymo driverless vehicle at Bronx Community College in the Bronx Borough of New York City , U.S., October 16, 2025. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton * Companies
* [Waymo LLC](/company/waymo-llc/)
Follow
* [Alphabet Inc](/company/alphabet-inc/)
Follow
WASHINGTON, Dec 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. agency said on Thursday it has asked Waymo to answer more questions after Texas officials said the Alphabet [(GOOGL.O), opens new tab](https://www.reuters.com/markets/companies/GOOGL.O) unit's self-driving vehicles had illegally passed school buses 19 times in recorded incidents since the start of the school year.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe in October after an incident in Georgia in which a Waymo car did not remain stationary when approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm deployed.
Sign up [here.](undefined?location=article-paragraph&redirectUrl=%2Fworld%2Fus%2Fus-probes-reports-waymo-self-driving-cars-illegally-passed-school-buses-19-times-2025-12-04%2F)
In a November 20 letter posted by NHTSA, the Austin Independent School District said five incidents occurred in November after Waymo said it had made software updates to resolve the issue and asked the company to halt operations around schools during pick-up and drop-off times until it could ensure the vehicles would not violate the law.
"We cannot allow Waymo to continue endangering our students while it attempts to implement a fix," a lawyer for the school district wrote, citing one incident involving a Waymo that was "recorded driving past a stopped school bus only moments after a student crossed in front of the vehicle, and while the student was still in the road."
The letter prompted NHTSA to ask Waymo on November 24 if it would comply with the request to cease self-driving operations during student pick-up and drop-off times, adding: "Was an appropriate software fix implemented or developed to mitigate this concern? And if so, does Waymo plan to file a recall for the fix?"
The school district told Reuters on Thursday that Waymo refuses to halt operations around schools and said another incident involving a self-driving car and an actively loading school bus occurred on December 1, which "indicates that those programming changes did not resolve the issue or our concerns."
In a statement, Waymo did not answer why it had refused to halt operations around Austin schools or answer if it would issue a recall. "We’re deeply invested in safe interaction with school buses. We swiftly implemented software updates to address this and will continue to rapidly improve," Waymo said.
NHTSA said in a letter to Waymo on Wednesday that it was demanding answers to a series of questions by January 20 about incidents involving school buses and details of software updates to address safety concerns.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Ediitng by Aurora Ellis
Our Standards: [The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab](https://www.thomsonreuters.com/en/about-us/trust-principles.html)
* Suggested Topics:
* [United States](/world/us/)
* [ADAS, AV & Safety](/business/autos-transportation/adas-av-safety/)
* [Sustainable & EV Supply Chain](/business/autos-transportation/sustainable-ev-supply-chain/)
* [Regulatory & Policy](/business/autos-transportation/regulatory-policy/)
* [Public Health](/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/public-health/)
Share
* X
* Facebook
* Linkedin
* Email
* Link
Read Next
---------
* ago[United Statescategory](/world/us/)
[Somalis arrested in Minneapolis immigration operation, officials say](/world/us/somalis-arrested-minneapolis-immigration-operation-officials-say-2025-12-05/)
[](/world/us/somalis-arrested-minneapolis-immigration-operation-officials-say-2025-12-05/)
* ago[United Statescategory](/world/us/)
[US widens travel ban to more than 30 countries, Noem says](/world/us/us-expanding-list-countries-travel-ban-more-than-30-noem-says-2025-12-05/)
[](/world/us/us-expanding-list-countries-travel-ban-more-than-30-noem-says-2025-12-05/)
* ago[Legalcategory](/legal/)
[Bondi orders US law enforcement to investigate 'extremist groups'](/legal/government/bondi-orders-law-enforcement-investigate-us-groups-over-accusations-domestic-2025-12-05/)
[](/legal/government/bondi-orders-law-enforcement-investigate-us-groups-over-accusations-domestic-2025-12-05/)
* ago[Worldcategory](/world/)
[Supreme Court revives pro-Republican Texas voting map sought by Trump](/world/us-supreme-court-revives-pro-republican-texas-voting-map-2025-12-04/)
[](/world/us-supreme-court-revives-pro-republican-texas-voting-map-2025-12-04/)
* ago[United Statescategory](/world/us/)
[Virginia man charged with planting pipe bombs on eve of January 6, 2021 Capitol riot](/world/us/person-suspected-planting-pipe-bombs-ahead-jan-6-2021-custody-official-says-2025-12-04/)
[](/world/us/person-suspected-planting-pipe-bombs-ahead-jan-6-2021-custody-official-says-2025-12-04/)
* ago[United Statescategory](/world/us/)
[Exclusive: Trump administration orders enhanced vetting for applicants of H-1B visa](/world/us/trump-administration-orders-enhanced-vetting-applicants-h-1b-visa-2025-12-04/)
[](/world/us/trump-administration-orders-enhanced-vetting-applicants-h-1b-visa-2025-12-04/)
[](https://www.lseg.com/en/data-analytics/products/workspace?utm_source=reuters.com&utm_medium=articlebanner&utm_campaign=Reuters_ProductPage_Links)
----------------
* [](/world/china/japan-issues-safety-advisory-china-ahead-nanjing-massacre-anniversary-2025-12-05/)
### [Japan issues safety advisory in China ahead of Nanjing Massacre anniversary](/world/china/japan-issues-safety-advisory-china-ahead-nanjing-massacre-anniversary-2025-12-05/)
[Chinacategory](/world/china/) · December 5, 2025 · 4:07 AM UTC · ago
The Japanese embassy in China issued a safety advisory on Friday ahead of next week's anniversary of "the Nanjing Incident", or the Nanjing Massacre, which it said is considered particularly sensitive.
* [](/world/china/chinas-xi-meets-frances-macron-southwestern-chengdu-2025-12-05/)
[Chinacategory](/world/china/)[Xi joins Macron in southwest China on rare trip with a global leader outside Beijing](/world/china/chinas-xi-meets-frances-macron-southwestern-chengdu-2025-12-05/)
4:01 AM UTC
* [](/world/asia-pacific/china-home-prices-fall-37-this-year-extending-declines-into-2026-2025-12-05/)
[Asia Pacificcategory](/world/asia-pacific/)[China home prices to fall 3.7% this year, extending declines into 2026](/world/asia-pacific/china-home-prices-fall-37-this-year-extending-declines-into-2026-2025-12-05/)
3:43 AM UTC
* [](/world/china/taiwan-very-moved-by-japanese-prime-ministers-support-premier-says-2025-12-05/)
[Chinacategory](/world/china/)[Taiwan 'very moved' by Japanese prime minister's support, premier says](/world/china/taiwan-very-moved-by-japanese-prime-ministers-support-premier-says-2025-12-05/)
3:31 AM UTC
* [](/business/media-telecom/national-broadcasters-consider-israel-eurovision-participation-amid-boycott-2025-12-04/)
[category](/business/)[Israel cleared to stay in Eurovision; Spain, Ireland and others quit in protest](/business/media-telecom/national-broadcasters-consider-israel-eurovision-participation-amid-boycott-2025-12-04/)
3:25 AM UTC
article_id:4243 →
content_type:article