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Title: US Investigates Waymo Robotaxis Over Safety Around School Buses

Link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/10/21/2244...

U.S. regulators have opened a new investigation into about 2,000 Waymo self-
driving cars after reports that one of the company's robotaxis illegally
passed a stopped school bus with flashing lights and children disembarking.
Waymo says it's "already developed and implemented improvements related to
stopping for school buses and will land additional software updates in our
next software release." The company added "driving safely around children has
always been one of Waymo's highest priorities. ... [Waymo] approached the
school bus from an angle where the flashing lights and stop sign were not
visible and drove slowly around the front of the bus before driving past it,
keeping a safe distance from children." Reuters reports: NHTSA opened the
investigation after a recent media report aired video of an incident in
Georgia in which a Waymo did not remain stationary when approaching a school
bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm deployed. The report said the
Waymo vehicle initially stopped then maneuvered around the bus, passing the
extended stop arm while students were disembarking. Waymo's automated driving
system surpassed 100 million miles of driving in July and is logging 2
million miles per week, the agency said. "Based on NHTSA's engagement with
Waymo on this incident and the accumulation of operational miles, the
likelihood of other prior similar incidents is high," the agency said. NHTSA
said the vehicle involved was equipped with Waymo's fifth-generation
Automated Driving System and was operating without a human safety driver at
the time of the incident.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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