A driverless Waymo robotaxi drove the wrong way on a frontage road near Interstate 35 in Austin, Texas, facing oncoming traffic before stopping and turning into a gas station, according to a viral video from mid-December 2025. The incident, captured in footage shared widely online, showed the vehicle activating its right turn signal while turning left into a Shell station, with no collision reported. Local authorities received no complaints about the event, Mashable reported. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle unit of Alphabet, stressed safety as its top priority but offered no specific explanation for the mishap.
Viral Video Sparks Questions
The footage emerged around December 19 or 20, 2025, and quickly gained traction on platforms like Reddit, according to Mashable and AOL. It depicted the Waymo vehicle navigating a frontage road incorrectly, potentially due to poor lane markings or challenges with high-speed oncoming traffic, FindArticles noted. The video's caption read "Just another day in Austin," highlighting public frustration with self-driving tech in the city.
Waymo issued a statement in response. "Safety is our highest priority at Waymo," a spokesperson told Mashable. "We take situations like this seriously and are committed to improving road safety through our ongoing learnings and experience." The company did not admit fault or detail any technical issues, such as mapping errors or sensor failures.
No police reports or transportation department filings followed the incident, MySanAntonio reported via Mashable. This lack of immediate fallout contrasts with broader scrutiny of Waymo's operations in Austin, where the company has expanded its robotaxi service amid growing concerns.
Pattern of Violations Emerges
The viral video fits into a series of safety lapses by Waymo vehicles in Austin, particularly around school buses. Austin Independent School District recorded 24 instances this school year where Waymo robotaxis violated school bus stop-arm rules, CBS Austin reported. The latest occurred on January 12, 2026, despite software updates in November and December 2025 aimed at addressing such problems.
Key violations include:
- December 11, 2025: A Waymo vehicle ignored flashing lights and a stop arm.
- December 12, 2025: Another passed a stopped bus illegally.
- December 19, 2025: Incident involved crossing an opposing lane near a child, according to Education Week.
- January 12, 2026: Continued failure post-updates, per CBS Austin.
Waymo conducted voluntary software recalls in November 2025, following incidents in Atlanta, and again in December, according to NHTSA filings reported by Electrek. The November update took effect on November 5, but at least five violations followed, Electrek noted. Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña defended the company's record. "We safely navigate thousands of school bus encounters weekly," Peña told TechCrunch and KXAN. "Our safety performance around school buses is superior to human drivers."
Austin ISD has pushed back. The district repeatedly asked Waymo to suspend operations during school hours, but Waymo refused, CBS Austin reported. "Put simply, Waymo’s software updates are clearly not working as intended nor as quickly as required," stated an Austin ISD general counsel memo, via Electrek. "We cannot allow Waymo to continue endangering our students." The district now explores legal options.
Similar issues surfaced elsewhere. Waymo vehicles committed at least six school bus violations in Atlanta, Futurism reported. On January 23, 2026, a Waymo robotaxi struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, California, causing minor injuries, Engadget detailed.
Regulatory Scrutiny Intensifies
Federal agencies have ramped up investigations into Waymo. The National Transportation Safety Board launched its first probe of the company on January 23, 2026, focusing on over 20 school bus incidents in Austin, TechCrunch reported. NTSB expects a preliminary report within 30 days and a final one in 12 to 24 months.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation in October 2025 and another after the Santa Monica child-strike incident, according to KFGO. These probes highlight escalating concerns as Waymo scales operations in cities like Austin, Phoenix, Atlanta, and Santa Monica.
Waymo claims its autonomous system outperforms humans, with 12 times fewer pedestrian injury crashes, TechCrunch reported. Yet regulators demand higher standards for AVs. Austin ISD cited over 7,000 human driver violations yearly for context, but officials argue self-driving vehicles must exceed benchmarks to justify deployment.
The viral video, while isolated, underscores real-world challenges for AV perception systems, such as variable lane markings and school zones, FindArticles noted. It arrives amid competitive pressures, with Waymo's founder criticizing rivals like Tesla on safety, Electrek reported.
What's Next for Waymo
Waymo faces potential operational restrictions in Austin if Austin ISD pursues legal action, CBS Austin indicated. The NTSB probe could lead to mandated changes, with a preliminary report due around February 22, 2026.
NHTSA investigations may result in further recalls or fines, building on the agency's prior actions. Waymo plans to analyze the viral incident for improvements, but no timeline exists for fixes.
Public backlash grows, with online forums like Reddit featuring criticism from users and even a Waymo engineer who called a separate pedestrian detection issue "irresponsible" and "flawed," per Mashable. As AV expansion continues, these events test regulatory frameworks.
Battery Wire's Take
Waymo's repeated failures, from the wrong-way viral scare to 24 school bus violations despite updates, expose a dangerous gap between hype and reality. The company's refusal to pause operations during school hours is reckless, prioritizing expansion over child safety. Regulators must impose suspensions now—software tweaks aren't cutting it, and waiting for NTSB's report risks more incidents. This isn't superior tech; it's a liability that could stall the entire AV industry if not addressed swiftly.