NTSB Finds Waymo Remote Agent Directed Illegal School Bus Pass

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a preliminary report stating that a human remote assistance agent directed a Waymo robotaxi to illegally pass a stopped school bus in Austin, Texas, on January 12. The vehicle had stopped and queried a remote agent in Novi, Michigan, regarding whether the bus had active signals; the agent responded "No," leading the vehicle to proceed. This occurred despite a voluntary software recall in December intended to fix similar violations.

The incident is part of a broader pattern of safety issues in Texas, where officials logged 19 similar occurrences last year. The Austin Independent School District has issued more than 24 citations to the company this school year using AI-powered cameras. During the first week of March 2026, a Waymo vehicle also briefly blocked an ambulance responding to a shooting in Austin.

Separately, the NTSB and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are investigating a January incident in Santa Monica, California, where a Waymo vehicle struck a nine-year-old child in a school zone. Waymo stated it remains committed to collaborating with the NTSB investigation.