The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California. The incident occurred on January 23 during school drop-off hours, with the child sustaining minor injuries. According to NHTSA, the child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV toward the school and was struck by the autonomous vehicle. Other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles were present in the vicinity.
Waymo stated that its vehicle's automated system detected the child as they emerged from behind the SUV and braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact. The company claimed that a fully attentive human driver would have made contact at a higher speed of 14 mph, citing this as evidence of the safety benefits of its technology. The vehicle was operating on Waymo's 5th Generation Automated Driving System without a safety driver.
NHTSA's investigation will assess whether the Waymo vehicle exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to the school and the presence of young pedestrians. The agency will also examine the vehicle's intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, particularly during school pick-up and drop-off times, as well as Waymo's post-impact response.