Waymo recalls more than 3,000 vehicles over faulty software following school bus violations

Waymo Recalls 3,067 Vehicles Due to Software Issue

Waymo is issuing a recall for 3,067 vehicles due to a software glitch that resulted in multiple incidents where the autonomous cars bypassed stopped school buses. The recall pertains to specific 5th-generation automated driving systems, as highlighted in a notice released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on Nov. 8. The faulty software could cause the vehicles to ignore a school bus with flashing red lights and an extended stop arm, potentially leading to a collision with a pedestrian, according to the agency.

Despite the recall, Waymo has not yet provided a response to the issue.

It is worth noting that all 50 states have regulations mandating vehicles to come to a halt for a school bus displaying flashing red lights and a deployed stop-arm signal, as stated by the NHTSA.

Waymo had informed CBS News earlier that they were planning to initiate a recall. A company representative mentioned that the software problem contributing to the incidents involving school buses had been identified and rectified in the affected vehicles by Nov. 17.

School Bus Incidents in Austin and Atlanta

The recall comes in the wake of numerous reports indicating that Waymo’s self-driving vehicles were observed passing school buses that were stationary in Austin, Texas.

As of December 5, the Austin Independent School District confirmed being aware of 20 instances during this school year where a Waymo vehicle unlawfully overtook a school bus. JJ Maldonado, a communications specialist for the school district, mentioned that a citation was issued following the resolution of the software issue by Waymo.

In October, NHTSA had initiated an investigation into Waymo after a similar incident involving a school bus in Atlanta. The public school district in Atlanta disclosed that as of December 5, there were six documented cases of Waymo cars unlawfully passing halted school buses.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet, currently offers hundreds of thousands of autonomous rides weekly in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, Phoenix, and Atlanta. The company has plans to expand its services to an additional two dozen cities.