NTSB Investigates Waymo Vehicles Passing Stopped School Buses

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into Alphabet Inc.'s Waymo unit after its self-driving vehicles repeatedly failed to stop for school buses loading or unloading students in Austin, Texas. The probe, announced on Friday, focuses on more than 20 incidents reported since the start of the school year, marking heightened federal scrutiny of the company's autonomous technology.

Investigators from the NTSB plan to travel to Austin to examine the interactions between Waymo's robotaxis and stopped school buses, where the vehicles ignored flashing lights and extended stop arms, violating state traffic laws designed to protect children. According to the Austin Independent School District, at least 19 such events occurred by early this month, with similar reports emerging from Atlanta, Georgia, totaling at least six more. No collisions or injuries resulted from these encounters, but local officials expressed alarm over the risks to students, including one near-miss involving a child crossing in front of a robotaxi.

The NTSB's action follows an ongoing investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which opened a preliminary...