New footage and follow-up reporting show Waymo vehicles in Austin continued to pass stopped school buses after a voluntary software recall. KXAN initially documented 19 incidents; later footage raised that count to at least 22, with seven videos showing children nearby. Austin ISD says it has recorded 24 alleged violations and has asked Waymo to suspend school-day operations while exploring legal options. Waymo maintains its vehicles have far fewer pedestrian-injury crashes than human-driven cars and says performance has improved since the update.
New Footage Shows Waymo Still Passing Stopped Austin School Buses After Software Recall
Waymo cars are still breaking the law in Austin despite company saying software was updated, new video shows
New video evidence and local reporting indicate Waymo vehicles in Austin continue to pass stopped school buses despite a recent software recall and reported fixes.
Local station KXAN initially reported in early December that Waymo vehicles were filmed illegally passing Austin Independent School District (AISD) buses while students were crossing the street. KXAN’s investigation found school bus camera footage showing Waymo vehicles driving past stopped buses with stop arms extended and red lights activated 19 times during that school year.
Waymo cars are still breaking the law in Austin, despite the self-driving vehicle company saying its software was updated, according to new videos (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
In response, Waymo issued a voluntary software recall affecting about 3,000 vehicles to correct an issue that could cause its autonomous cars to pass stopped school buses. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Waymo implemented a fix on December 11, 2025.
Despite the recall and the reported update, KXAN’s follow-up reporting found additional incidents. The outlet says Austin school bus cameras recorded at least 22 instances this school year in which Waymo vehicles passed while a bus’s stop arm was deployed; in seven of those videos, children were visible nearby.
Waymo quickly recalled more than 3,000 of its vehicles due to a software issue that caused the autonomous cars to drive past stopped school buses (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
The Austin Independent School District told The Independent it has logged a total of 24 alleged violations by Waymo vehicles, with the most recent incident occurring on Monday. A district spokesperson urged caution:
"Austin ISD again asks that Waymo cease operations in the mornings and afternoons during school days when our students are using our school buses. Austin ISD continues to explore any and all legal recourse available."
Waymo defended the safety of its driverless fleet in a statement to The Independent, noting that its vehicles have "12x fewer crashes involving injuries to pedestrians compared to human benchmarks" and saying the company has "seen material improvement in our performance since our software update." The company also said it has met with Austin ISD to collaborate on data collection across light patterns and conditions.
The Independent has reached out to the Austin Independent School District for further comment. The situation remains under scrutiny as local authorities, the school district and Waymo review footage and safety data.
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