Waymo will recall self-driving cars passing stopped school buses

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Waymo is issuing one voluntary withdrawal of their self-driving cars after Texas officials reported at least 19 incidents of vehicles passing stopped school buses.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) asked Waymo on Wednesday to explain Texas incidents for January 20.

The agency opened an investigation in October into how Waymo vehicles behave around school buses, Reuters reported.

“While we’re incredibly proud of our strong safety record that shows Waymo experiences twelve times fewer pedestrian-injury crashes than human drivers, maintaining the highest safety standards means recognizing when our behavior should be better,” Mauricio Peña, Waymo’s chief safety officer, told FOX Business in an email.

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Autonomous Waymo minivan with lidar sensors driving in Los Angeles

A self-driving Waymo minivan equipped with LiDAR and cameras in Los Angeles in March 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images/Getty Images)

Peña said the recall will address issues of “properly slowing down and stopping,” he noted the company believe that the problem is due to a software issue.

“We will continue to analyze the performance of our vehicles and make the necessary corrections as part of our commitment to continuous improvement,” Peña added.

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White Waymo car runs school bus stop signs

Security footage shows a white Waymo self-driving car passing a parked school bus with its stop signs extended and lights flashing in Austin, Texas. (Austin Independent School District / Fox News)

The Austin Independent School District (AISD) told FOX Business earlier this week that Waymo vehicles had been cited 20 times as of Monday and that the company refused to stop operations near schools.

Footage provided by AISD shows at least 19 incidents since the start of the school year in which Waymo vehicles passed stopped school buses with red lights flashing and stop arms deployed, while pedestrians visibly walked in nearby streets and crosswalks.

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The autonomous Waymo Jaguar I-PACE SUV waits at an intersection in San Francisco

A self-driving Jaguar I-PACE SUV from Waymo waits at an intersection in San Francisco on March 18, 2025. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images/Getty Images)

Videos show that in some cases, Waymo vehicles initially slowed or stopped for school buses before continuing.

AISD reported five incidents in November after Waymo was implemented software updatesReuters reported, citing a Nov. 20 letter released by NHTSA.

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FOX Business’ Bonny Chu contributed to this report.

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