Driverless Waymo taxis under investigation after failing to stop for a school bus

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a federal investigation into approximately 2,000 Waymo driverless vehicles following an incident where one taxi allegedly failed to stop for a school bus with children disembarking in Atlanta. The autonomous vehicle reportedly drove around the stopped bus, ignoring its extended stop arm and flashing red lights, with federal regulators suggesting similar occurrences may have happened previously. This investigation aims to assess the performance of Waymo's autonomous technology in these critical school bus safety scenarios and its compliance with relevant traffic laws. The incident occurred on September 22nd, when the Waymo vehicle, while exiting a driveway, passed the school bus that was partially blocking the exit. Waymo stated the vehicle maintained a safe distance from the children and has since implemented software updates to improve its performance, with plans for further enhancements. The situation also highlights challenges in enforcing traffic laws for autonomous vehicles. Unlike human drivers, robot cars cannot be issued tickets directly, creating an enforcement gap. A recent incident in San Bruno, California, where a Waymo vehicle made an illegal U-turn, resulted in police contacting the company instead of issuing a citation, as c... download the app to read more