Waymo’s robotaxis are under investigation for passing stopped school buses

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into Waymo following reports that the company’s robotaxis illegally drove past stopped school buses in Austin, Texas.

In a letter sent to Waymo on Wednesday, the federal regulator’s Office of Defects Investigation asked for detailed information on Waymo’s fifth-generation self-driving system and expressed concern that the Alphabet-owned company’s vehicles were showing unexpected or illegal behavior around school buses.

The letter comes after the watchdog opened an October investigation into the firm following an incident involving a stationary school bus in Georgia. Video footage showed one of Waymo’s autonomous vehicles driving past a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arms deployed. In