So, Waymo, the self-driving car company owned by Alphabet, is issuing a voluntary software recall because its robotaxis weren't exactly behaving perfectly around school buses. I mean, we're talking about kids here, so this is a big deal! Apparently, there were instances where these autonomous vehicles weren't slowing down or stopping appropriately when approaching school buses with flashing lights and extended stop signs.

It all started when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began looking into Waymo's operations after some concerning footage surfaced. This footage showed a Waymo robotaxi making some questionable maneuvers around a stopped school bus in Atlanta. Not cool.

And it wasn't just a one-off incident. Officials in Austin also reported similar issues, claiming that Waymo robotaxis illegally passed school buses a whopping 19 times this year! That's a lot of near misses, and it's understandable why regulators are getting involved.

Waymo claims they've already updated their software to address the issue, stating that the updated system performs even better than human drivers. However, even with the update, the company is moving forward with the recall to ensure the highest safety standards. As they should.

Of course, this isn't Waymo's first rodeo with software recalls. They've had a couple already this year, including one after a robotaxi in Phoenix decided to play bumper cars with a telephone pole. But hey, at least they're taking responsibility and working to fix the problems.

Look, I get it, self-driving cars are the future, and there are bound to be some hiccups along the way. But when it comes to safety, especially around vulnerable populations like schoolchildren, there's no room for error. Waymo needs to get this right, and hopefully, this recall is a step in the right direction. I think that if we expect self-driving tech to become more mainstream, issues like this need to be addressed immediately.