NTSB investigating another event involving a Waymo vehicle illegally passing an Austin school bus

AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Federal investigators are continuing their scrutiny of autonomous vehicle giant Waymo after a new report of one of the company's self-driving cars illegally passing a stopped Austin ISD school bus while children were loading.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) confirmed Thursday that the March 25 incident will be integrated into a larger, ongoing safety probe. The agency's investigation into Waymo's operations was launched last year following reports from Austin ISD detailing more than 20 separate safety violations involving the company’s driverless fleet.

Waymo says it has attempted to address technical flaws via a software recall filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in December. Records show the recall failed to stem the tide of infractions, with additional bus-related violations documented throughout December and January.

Tension between the school district and the tech firm reached a boiling point late last year. Austin ISD officials formally requested that Waymo suspend its fleet during peak student pickup and drop-off windows—a request the company flatly rejected.

The school bus incidents are not isolated. The NTSB is also reviewing a string of recent "edge-case" failures across the city, including a case of vehicles driving past lowered railroad crossing arms and another vehicle driving the wrong way on the University of Texas campus.

In a statement, a Waymo spokesperson maintained that the company remains committed to its "shared safety mission" with local and federal authorities.

"We care deeply about safety on our roads, and we’ll continue to work with AISD and the NTSB," the company stated.

While the NTSB investigation remains active, the agency is expected to issue formal safety recommendations that could significantly alter how autonomous vehicles are permitted to navigate Austin’s school zones and rail crossings.