Waymo 2025 Incident Tracker: Crashes, School Bus Recall & Fatal Collision

Waymo in 2025: Expansion Meets Accountability

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Waymo entered 2025 as the dominant U.S. robotaxi operator, completing over 250,000 paid trips weekly across Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Atlanta. The company logged 96 million rider-only miles through June 2025—more autonomous driving than all competitors combined.

But 2025 also became Waymo’s year of reckoning. The first fatal collision involving a fully driverless car occurred in January. A pattern of school bus violations in Austin triggered a December 2025 software recall. And NHTSA opened investigations covering nearly 700 incidents since January 2025.

This tracker documents Waymo’s 2025 safety record, providing a structured resource for attorneys, researchers, and anyone affected by a Waymo-involved incident.

The First Fatal Collision Involving a Driverless Car

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On January 19, 2025, Waymo became part of the first fatal collision involving a fully autonomous vehicle with no human driver present. The incident occurred in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood and resulted in one death and multiple injuries.

Incident Details

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Why This Matters for Liability

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While Waymo was not at fault in this incident—the company’s vehicle was legally stopped when struck by a speeding Tesla—the case establishes important precedents:

1. First-of-its-kind fatality: This is the first fatal crash involving a Level 4 autonomous vehicle operating without any human occupant
2. Documentation standards: How NHTSA, insurance carriers, and courts handle data from driverless vehicles in fatal crashes
3. Passenger safety in robotaxis: Questions about occupant protection when no driver can take evasive action

December 2025 School Bus Software Recall

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Waymo’s most significant regulatory crisis of 2025 stems from a pattern of its robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses with their stop arms extended and lights flashing—a serious safety violation that endangered children.

Timeline of the School Bus Crisis

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The Austin ISD Citations

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The Austin Independent School District documented 20 citations for Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses between August and December 2025. According to AISD communications specialist JJ Maldonado:

“As of Dec. 1, 2025, Waymo received its 20th citation since the beginning of the school year. This is after the company said it had fixed the issue through software updates that were implemented on Nov. 17.”

The pattern was consistent: Waymo vehicles would initially slow or stop for a school bus, but then proceed past the bus while the stop arm was still extended and children were present.

The Software Defect

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Waymo identified a software issue that caused its vehicles to:

1. Correctly detect a stopped school bus with extended stop arm
2. Initially slow or stop as required by law
3. Incorrectly resume motion before the bus cleared

This represents a failure in the vehicle’s behavioral decision-making layer—the system detected the hazard but made an unsafe decision to proceed.

NHTSA Investigation Scope

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NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE25013 covering:

• School bus passing incidents in Austin, TX
• Similar incidents in Atlanta, GA
• Approximately 700 Waymo-related incidents under review since January 2025

The agency has requested detailed documentation from Waymo including:

• All similar incidents nationwide
• Software architecture related to school bus detection
• Details of the November 17 update and why it failed to resolve the issue
• Comprehensive response required by January 20, 2026

2025 Incident Statistics

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Based on NHTSA data and Waymo’s own reporting, here is the 2025 incident landscape:

Incidents Reported to NHTSA

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Incident Severity Breakdown (2025)

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Historical Context

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Waymo’s 2025 incident count continues a pattern of increasing reports as the company expands:

Note: Incidents reported to NHTSA; actual incident count may be higher. Many minor incidents are not reported.

Other Notable 2025 Incidents

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Beyond the fatal collision and school bus violations, Waymo experienced several other significant incidents in 2025:

Waymo’s Safety Claims vs. Reality

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Waymo consistently emphasizes its safety record relative to human drivers. The company’s Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña stated:

“We are incredibly proud of our strong safety record showing Waymo experiences twelve times fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians than human drivers.”

What Waymo Claims

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• 91% fewer crashes with serious injuries in operating cities
• 92% fewer crashes with pedestrian injuries
• 12x fewer injury crashes involving pedestrians compared to human drivers
• Over 100 million miles driven with a strong safety record

Independent Analysis

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Some independent analyses support Waymo’s claims. Technology outlet Ars Technica and newsletter Understanding AI found that between July 2024 and February 2025, Waymo reported 38 crashes serious enough to cause injury or airbag deployment. Of these:

• Only 1 crash was clearly Waymo’s fault
• 3 crashes potentially Waymo’s fault (insufficient information)
• 34 crashes caused by human drivers violating traffic laws (speeding, running red lights, etc.)

The Counterargument

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Critics note several limitations in Waymo’s safety statistics:

1. Selection bias: Waymo only operates in favorable conditions (good weather, well-mapped areas, limited hours)
2. Comparison fairness: Human driver statistics include drunk driving, distracted driving, and fatigued driving—conditions Waymo doesn’t face
3. Edge cases: The school bus incidents demonstrate failures in specific scenarios that may be more common as Waymo expands
4. Incident reporting: Questions remain about what incidents go unreported

Rapid 2025-2026 Expansion

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Waymo announced aggressive expansion plans that will significantly increase the number of vehicles on roads:

Current Markets (Late 2025)

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• San Francisco, CA
• Phoenix, AZ
• Los Angeles, CA
• Austin, TX (Uber partnership)
• Atlanta, GA (Uber partnership)

2026 Expansion Targets

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• Dallas, TX
• Houston, TX
• San Antonio, TX
• Miami, FL
• Orlando, FL
• Denver, CO
• Detroit, MI
• Las Vegas, NV
• Nashville, TN
• San Diego, CA
• Seattle, WA
• Washington, D.C.

International Plans

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• London, UK (testing)
• Tokyo, Japan (testing)

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana stated: “By the end of 2026, you should expect us to be offering 1 million trips per week.”

This rapid expansion will increase the potential for incidents and create new liability questions in jurisdictions with different legal frameworks.

Legal Framework for Waymo Claims

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Who Can Be Held Liable?

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Unlike traditional auto accidents with a clear at-fault driver, Waymo incidents involve a complex web of potential defendants:

Product Liability Theories

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Design Defect: The school bus recall demonstrates a design defect in Waymo’s behavioral decision-making software. The system correctly detected stopped school buses but made unsafe decisions to proceed.

Manufacturing Defect: Software bugs affecting specific vehicles or fleet segments may constitute manufacturing defects.

Failure to Warn: Passengers and other road users may not adequately understand the system’s limitations.

Premises Liability Considerations

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The bicyclist “dooring” lawsuit raises premises liability questions: Did Waymo create a hazardous condition by instructing passengers to exit in a bike lane? This theory could apply to any incident where Waymo’s pickup/dropoff location selection creates danger.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Related Resources

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• Autonomous Vehicle Accident Claims — Comprehensive AV liability framework
• Tesla FSD & Autopilot Liability — Tesla-specific claims guide
• State AI Liability Laws — Emerging state legislation
• Austin Robotics & AI Injuries — Austin-specific guidance