Fresh video evidence has emerged showing that Waymo's driverless cars are continuing to break traffic laws in Austin, Texas, by illegally passing stopped school buses. This occurs despite the company's assurances that a software issue responsible for the dangerous behaviour had been resolved following a major recall.
Recall and Repeated Violations
In early December 2025, local news outlet KXAN first reported that Waymo vehicles were being filmed unlawfully overtaking Austin Independent School District buses while children were crossing the street. An investigation found school bus cameras had captured 19 such incidents during the current school year.
This prompted swift action from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). On 11 December 2025, the NHTSA announced that Waymo had quickly recalled more than 3,000 of its autonomous vehicles to fix a software flaw that caused the cars to drive past stopped school buses.
New Footage Undermines Software Fix Claims
However, subsequent reporting from KXAN has revealed that the problem persists. According to new videos, a Waymo car allegedly committed a violation as recently as 19 December 2025. The footage, taken outside a south Austin apartment in the early hours, shows an adult and child crossing the street as a school bus approaches.
The Waymo vehicle is seen slowing but failing to come to a complete stop as the pedestrians cross directly in front of it. The outlet now states that Austin school bus cameras have recorded at least 22 instances this academic year where Waymo cars passed while a bus's stop arm was extended and red lights were flashing. Children were visible in the video in seven of these incidents.
Company Response and Ongoing Safety Debate
In a statement to The Independent, a Waymo spokesperson defended the safety record of their driverless technology. "Our vehicles have 12x fewer crashes involving injuries to pedestrians compared to human benchmarks and we're invested in demonstrating exceptional driving performance around school bus interactions that exceeds human-driven vehicles," the spokesperson said.
They added that the company had met with Austin ISD to collaborate on data collection and review various light patterns and conditions. "We have seen material improvement in our performance since our software update," the spokesperson concluded.
The Independent has contacted the Austin Independent School District for further comment. The repeated violations raise significant questions about the reliability of software updates for autonomous vehicles in complex urban environments and the regulatory oversight required to ensure public safety, particularly around vulnerable road users like school children.
