From WIRED · Aarian Marshall · · 1m
Waymo's school bus fix may not have worked, US says
The US government is investigating whether Waymo's software recall actually stopped its robotaxis from illegally passing stopped school buses.
In brief
The US government is investigating whether Waymo's software recall actually stopped its robotaxis from illegally passing stopped school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Waymo's November software fix and December recall actually stopped its robotaxis from illegally…
Waymo's school bus problem
Waymo's robotaxis illegally passed stopped school buses with red lights and stop arms extended, which is illegal in all fifty states. The company issued a software fix in mid-November and a voluntary recall in mid-December.
Government questions if fix worked
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Waymo's recall actually fixed the safety issue. The government says the majority of school bus incidents occurred after the software fix.
Waymo disputes the findings
Waymo spokesperson Dana Gallagher said the company has made significant improvements and has not been cited for passing school buses since last March, months after the recall.
“made significant improvements to vehicle behavior around school buses”
What it means
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating whether Waymo's November software fix and December recall actually stopped its robotaxis from illegally passing school buses, after the government says most incidents occurred after the fix.
