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A Waymo driverless car was caught on video this week illegally passing a stopped school bus with its red lights flashing in Atlanta, reigniting questions about the readiness of autonomous vehicles to safely navigate American streets.
The incident occurred Monday as the bus unloaded children, a scenario that typically carries steep penalties for human drivers under Georgia law.
No citation has been issued, and Atlanta police said they had no reports on the case. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, confirmed it is investigating. No injuries were reported in the Atlanta incident.
The video drew swift reactions from Georgia lawmakers.
“I’m a big fan of new technologies and emerging technologies and I think that driverless cars are going to become more prevalent, but we got to think about how they’re going to comply with the law,” Georgia state Rep. Clint Crowe, who co-sponsored Addy’s Law in 2024, told local station KGW8.
The measure was named after 8-year-old Addy Pierce, who was killed by a driver while crossing to her bus stop, and imposes fines of up to $1,000 and potential jail time for violations.
“These cars don’t have a driver, so we’re really going to have to rethink who’s responsible,” Crowe added.
State Sen. Rick Williams, another author of Addy’s Law, was more blunt.
“Driverless cars should be stopped until it can be figured out. It’s too dangerous for our children,” he told the station.
Williams said he plans to introduce legislation holding manufacturers accountable with stronger financial penalties.
The Atlanta case comes days after police in San Bruno pulled over a Waymo vehicle that made an illegal U-turn. Officers said they could not issue a citation because their forms “don’t have a box for ‘robot.’”
A California law that takes effect next year will allow officers to fine companies directly.
Waymo has touted its safety record, citing data showing significantly fewer serious crashes than with cars driven by human drivers.
“The trust and safety of the communities we serve is our top priority,” the company, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, said in a statement. “We continuously refine our system’s performance to navigate complex scenarios.”
Still, transportation experts warn that high-profile mistakes undermine public trust.
“Before we have widespread use of self-driving vehicles, we’ve got to make sure that they are implemented properly,” Robert Sumwalt, former chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told CBS News.