**Waymo’s Self-Driving Taxis Under Scrutiny After Multiple Incidents of Passing Stopped School Buses**
Big news in the world of autonomous vehicles – Waymo, the pioneer in self-driving tech, is facing an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) after multiple instances of its robots passing stopped college buses in at least two states. This is a major deal, folks, and it’s not the first time Waymo’s had issues with school buses.
According to the NTSB, investigators will head to Austin, Texas, to collect data on over 20 incidents where Waymo’s autonomous vehicles didn’t stop for loading or unloading students. We can expect a preliminary report within 30 days, and a more detailed final report in 12 to 24 months. Yikes, that’s a long time to wait for answers!
This investigation comes at a time when Waymo is expanding its operations across the US like crazy. Just this week, they launched a robotaxi service in Miami, adding to their operations in Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and the San Francisco Bay Area. That’s a lot of ground to cover, and it’s no wonder concerns are growing.
So, what’s going on? Waymo says they’ve issued a software update to address the issue, but it seems like the problem persists. Their chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, claims their vehicles are able to safely navigate thousands of school bus encounters weekly across the US, and that their safety performance around school buses is superior to that of human drivers. Yeah, sure, Mauricio. But don’t you worry, folks, we’ve got evidence.
Local news outlet KXAN got their hands on some pretty convincing footage showing multiple instances of Waymo vehicles passing stopped school buses in Austin, Texas. The Austin Independent School District has even asked Waymo to suspend its operations during pickup and drop-off times. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, if you know what I mean.
Now, I’m no expert, but I think it’s important to note that the NTSB isn’t a regulatory agency, which means they can’t issue fines or penalties. However, their investigation will likely provide some valuable insights into what went wrong. And let’s be real, those findings will be huge for Waymo and the entire autonomous vehicle industry.
So, what do you guys think? Should Waymo be held accountable for its actions, or is it on the industry to continually improve safety? Let me know in the comments!
