Georgia officials are sounding the alarm after a series of videos showed autonomous Waymo vehicles illegally driving past stopped school buses with flashing lights and extended stop signs. Local leaders are asking whether a temporary pause is necessary while investigators assess potential safety risks.
Safety Concerns Rise After Multiple Reported Incidents
Six separate violations have been reported by Atlanta Public Schools, with 11Alive obtaining multiple recordings showing self-driving Waymo cars moving past buses as children exited or boarded. Each video painted a concerning picture: no human driver behind the wheel, and no obvious recognition of rules that school buses depend on to protect students.
Federal regulators are now involved. Similar incidents in Atlanta and Austin, Texas, have drawn scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Autonomous cars remain experimental on public streets, so each serious mistake lands under a national microscope.
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Waymo operates in multiple U.S. cities, including the Atlanta metro, and has been pushing to expand further.
Some parents reacted emotionally online, saying they felt uneasy sending children to school while vehicles with no drivers could legally share neighborhood streets. Others feared the worst-case scenario if a child ran into the road while a robot car failed to stop.
Local Officials Weigh Possible Temporary Restrictions
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts has been one of Georgia’s biggest champions for autonomous vehicle growth. He has repeatedly pushed for the region to become a hub for innovation, testing, and manufacturing.
But Pitts acknowledged that safety demands attention.
He said a pause during school pickup and drop-off hours may be needed while Waymo updates its systems. The idea is simple: prevent driverless vehicles from circulating near school campuses until the technology clearly and consistently recognizes school bus procedures.
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Pitts emphasized that no tragedy has occurred but warned that hesitation now could prevent one later.
“We’ve got to address this issue now,” Pitts told 11Alive. He noted that school buses are among the most clearly protected vehicles on the road because children are unpredictable when entering or exiting. A missed stop sign by a self-driving car could have severe consequences.
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Others in Georgia government echoed concerns privately, saying they expect more policy talks if the situation continues.
Waymo Responds With Software Recall
Late Friday, Waymo confirmed it will issue a voluntary software recall tied to school bus interactions. The company said its autonomous system sometimes slows or stops for a school bus, but later resumes movement instead of remaining fully stopped. Waymo believes this behavior needs correction.
The company said its Nov. 17 software update improved how vehicles respond and that engineers are still testing and adjusting performance.
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This is the first known recall related specifically to school bus interactions involving fully autonomous vehicles.
Waymo explained that it continues to collect data from Atlanta streets, including video and sensor feedback, to understand edge cases — rare moments that differ from normal traffic flow. The company added that a separate investigation remains ongoing.
To simplify what Waymo claims happened:
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Vehicles sometimes slowed down or stopped for a school bus
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Instead of fully waiting, they later continued moving
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Engineers are trying to fix that issue with additional changes
Waymo insists the vehicles are safer than human drivers overall, but lawmakers argue that one mistake involving a child outweighs statistical comparisons.
Lawmakers Say The Recall Isn’t Enough
Georgia state Sen. Rick Williams took a stricter tone. He said the public videos speak for themselves and argued that a voluntary recall does not erase the incidents.
Williams told 11Alive that trusting autonomous cars to correctly understand school safety requires more than technical assurances. “My child, grandchild or anyone’s child is too precious for something to happen from these driverless automobiles,” Williams said. “They need to be stopped now.”
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Williams noted that automated vehicles should not be allowed on the streets anywhere near children until testing proves flawless behavior around school buses. He also urged lawmakers to explore immediate restrictions, even if they are temporary.
Other legislators across Georgia have privately said they prefer caution over speed. Some pointed out that traditional drivers routinely commit violations, but those drivers can at least be held accountable in real time.
Autonomous vehicles raise a different challenge: a machine cannot be punished emotionally, and identifying fault becomes more complicated if no person is behind the wheel.
Broader Policy Questions Arrive Sooner Than Expected
Many state officials widely support autonomous transportation because of economic potential and innovation. But sudden incidents like this change the starting point. Instead of debating how fast to expand operations, leaders are now debating whether existing rules are strong enough when real students are on real sidewalks.
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School buses symbolize non-negotiable safety in public traffic law.
Some analysts said Georgia might become one of the first states to formally regulate the movement of autonomous vehicles during school hours. Other states are watching closely. Cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, and Austin have repeatedly reported complicated or surprising interactions between driverless vehicles and schools, pedestrians, or police.
A small table helps explain potential policy paths being discussed informally:
| Possible Measure | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Pause in school zones | No autonomous cars during pickup and drop-off |
| Expanded signage recognition | Require proven system response to stop arms |
| Real-time oversight | Remote human monitors for high-risk zones |
| Routing restrictions | Adjust maps to avoid school driveways and bus stops |
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Some officials admit they worry that waiting too long for regulation could mean reacting after a tragedy instead of preventing one.
Georgia transportation leaders have met with school officials in recent days, according to local sources, to discuss reporting procedures if additional incidents occur. Atlanta Public Schools has already been documenting violations so regulators have evidence to review.
Federal investigators will likely examine how many similar cases happened nationwide, not just in Georgia. If the issue proves widespread, stricter federal restrictions may follow.
The recall shows Waymo is responding, but lawmakers continue asking whether a technical fix alone is enough. They argue that any system moving past a school bus, even once, deserves the highest level of scrutiny.
