Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, is under increasing scrutiny following multiple reports of its robotaxis illegally passing school buses in Austin, Texas. The new software update deployed on November 17 ignited a string of incidents. This has raised alarm bells among local leaders and the Austin Independent School District (Austin ISD).
In fact, at least five different incidents were recorded in which Waymo’s vehicles disregarded laws meant to protect our schoolchildren. On November 20, Austin ISD moved quickly to send a cease and desist letter to Waymo. They raised red flags about how effective the company’s software updates are. The school district explicitly demanded that Waymo cease operations of its automated vehicles during peak hours, specifically from 5:20 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Austin ISD’s incursion request stems from the same fundamental belief that Waymo’s over-the-air software updates are failing, in this case catastrophically. The school district has called for more comprehensive updates and guarantees that the automated vehicles will comply with traffic laws before they can resume operations.
In the face of these problems, Waymo continues to insist that its new software updates are making all new roads safer. The company’s data reportedly shows a fivefold reduction in injury-related crashes compared to human drivers and a twelvefold decrease in injury crashes involving pedestrians. Waymo is confident that their recent changes have clearly driven their performance to a different level. In some places, they already do better than human drivers.
The crashes persisted despite the recent software update. One notable incident involved a Waymo robotaxi crossing perpendicularly in front of a school bus from its right side, raising alarms among local regulators.
With concerns continuing to mount, regulators acted on December 3. They asked for specific, public-facing information about Waymo’s fifth-generation self-driving system as well as quarterly updates on its geofenced operational data. Local leaders and national safety experts are watching it closely. This makes a strong case for serious, independent oversight as we develop our autonomous driving technology.
Waymo issued a statement addressing the issues raised by Austin ISD, emphasizing their commitment to continuous improvement in safety measures.
“We have already made software updates to improve our performance and are committed to continuous improvement. NHTSA plays a vital role in road safety, and we will continue to work collaboratively with the agency as part of our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.” – Waymo
