According to a 2025 NASDPTS survey, about 39.3 million school bus passing violations occurred last year.
Senate Report: Autonomous Car Companies Hiding Reliance on Remote Operators
Waymo’s self-driving vehicles are under fire again after repeated school bus passing violations, raising questions about safety, remote operators, and regulation.

As Waymo continues to expand in cities across the U.S., many have called for its vehicles to stop running until safety concerns have been resolved.
Waymo
Waymo’s string of scrutiny continues.
The company, which provides self-driving taxis, has been under fire for its vehicles not stopping for stopped school buses when students were loading. Instances of illegal passing have been reported across the country, though Austin, Texas, has been at the heart of the matter.
Now, a Senate investigation has raised new concerns over AV companies' use of remote assistance operators.
What Happened in Austin?
Austin ISD officials said that Waymo cars have had at least 19 instances of not following the law when it comes to safety around school buses. In response, last December, Waymo issued a recall and software update. The company claimed that safety is paramount while it backed its vehicles and technology.
The incidents continued to happen.
Then, last month, the NTSB launched an investigation and found that in one case, the vehicle’s automated driving system contacted a remote assistance agent with the prompt: “Is this a school bus with active signals?” According to the NTSB, a remote operator in Michigan responded “No,” and the vehicle passed the bus while its stop arms were still extended.
Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña testified in a Senate hearing that the company does use remote operators when a vehicle encounters a situation it does not know how to handle.
Other Waymo Incidents
An 11Alive investigation also found at least six cases of Waymo vehicles passing stopped Atlanta Public Schools buses.
Other issues not involving school buses have also been reported.
During a San Francisco blackout, hundreds of Waymo robotaxis stalled in intersections and blocked emergency vehicles. The city’s mayor asked for the removal of the autonomous vehicles. In Austin, a police officer responding to a mass shooting was pulled off the scene to physically move a stalled Waymo. First responders have intervened in at least six similar incidents.
“Robotaxi companies are racing to expand before the rules can catch up, and now we know they have been doing it without telling anyone how often a human has to step in to prevent a disaster,” said Witherite Law Group founder Amy Witherite. “The public deserves to be served by this technology — not used as its testing ground."
What Did the Senate Report Find?
Sen. Edward J. Markey, a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released a report last week highlighting a lack of transparency from Waymo and other AV companies (including Aurora, May Mobility, Motional, Nuro, Tesla, and Zoox) regarding its use of remote operators.
In the report, “Remote Backseat Operators: Revealing the Autonomous Vehicle Industry’s Reliance on Human Remote Assistance Operators,” Markey detailed letters sent to each company asking about their remote assistance, with questions on frequency of human intervention, location of operations, qualifications, and cybersecurity standards.
Each company refused to disclose how frequently their remote operators intervene to help their self-driving cars.
According to a press release, Waymo was found to be the only AV company using overseas RAOs, with a substantial share of its operator workforce not holding a U.S. driver’s license. Latency between vehicles and remote operators varied widely across companies, with each firm setting its own threshold for what constitutes a safety risk.
“Autonomous vehicle companies make big promises about safety, but it turns out human workers still play a critical role,” said Sen. Markey. “These operations demand urgent federal regulation.”
Markey is urging NHTSA to investigate further and said he is working on legislation to impose regulations around the AV industry’s use of remote operators.
More Safety

School Bus Laws to Watch: New York Delays EV Mandate
Plus, federal lawmakers seek new funding for school bus safety as states weigh stop-arm enforcement, disability protections, and education spending.
Read More →
The Essential Handbook for Safe Alternative Student Transportation
Your district's "exception riders" — students with IEPs, those experiencing homelessness, foster care youth — deserve more than a middleman solution. This handbook breaks down exactly what to look for in a supplemental transportation partner: from driver vetting and regulatory compliance to proactive safety technology. Because getting a ride isn't the same as getting a safe one.
Read More →
Operation STEER Brings Emergency Response Training to North Texas
Prosper ISD hosted the third annual training for transportation professionals across 67 districts to learn how to respond to emergencies, such as rollovers and evacuations, and proper use of safety equipment.
Read More →
Florida District Relaunches BusPatrol School Bus Camera Program With New Safeguards
After being suspended over due process concerns, Miami-Dade schools and law enforcement are restarting the AI-powered stop-arm camera program with new oversight.
Read More →
School Bus Laws To Watch: Seat Belt Bills, Funding Fights & EV Changes
From national bills on seat belts and driver oversight to driver awareness campaigns referencing “Finn’s Rule” and ongoing transportation funding debates in Alaska, here’s the latest in school bus legislation across the U.S.
Read More →
9-Year-Old Boy Killed by School Bus at Busy Brooklyn Intersection
A Williamsburg community is mourning after a child was fatally struck by a private yeshiva bus, prompting calls for urgent safety improvements at the high-traffic crossing.
Read More →
Does Reliable School Transportation Boost Attendance? EverDriven’s Data Says Yes
The new data shows 99.99% incident-free trips and strong on-time performance, reinforcing how dependable transportation, especially for vulnerable student populations, can help districts combat chronic absenteeism.
Read More →
What Data Shows About Student Transportation in 2026
Driver shortages, safety expectations, and staffing limits define student transportation in 2026. New survey data shows how fleet leaders are responding.
Read More →
NTSB Calls for Alcohol Impairment Systems, Seat Belts After W.V. Crash Investigation
The federal agency's report asks NHTSA to require all new school buses to be equipped with vehicle-integrated alcohol detection systems and passenger lap-shoulder belts.
Read More →
2026 State of Student Transportation Report
Student transportation teams are being asked to do more with less, facing driver shortages, rising costs, and increasing safety expectations. This report uncovers how fleets are adapting, where technology is making the biggest impact, and why student ridership tracking is emerging as a top priority. Download the report to explore the key trends shaping 2026 and what they mean for your operation.
Read More →

