A Waymo robotaxi struck a child near a school

"The agency said the incident occurred close to a school within regular drop-off hours, with other children and a crossing guard nearby. The child ran from behind a double-parked SUV into the path of a Waymo Driver. Waymo said its vehicle detected the child immediately as they emerged and that the robotaxi braked hard to lower its speed from around 17 mph to under 6 mph at the time of impact."

"The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation will examine whether the Waymo Driver used appropriate caution given that it was close to a school during drop-off hours and children were close by. The probe is expected to look at the intended behavior of the vehicle's automated driving systems around schools (particularly during regular pick-up and drop-off times) and Waymo's response to the incident."

A Waymo robotaxi struck a child in Santa Monica, California, on January 23, causing minor injuries. The incident occurred near a school during regular drop-off hours with other children and a crossing guard nearby. A child ran from behind a double-parked SUV into the vehicle's path. The vehicle detected the child as they emerged and decelerated from about 17 mph to under 6 mph at impact. The child stood up and moved to the sidewalk; emergency services were contacted and the vehicle remained until law enforcement allowed it to leave. NHTSA opened an investigation into the vehicle's caution and automated behavior around schools. The NTSB also has an investigation into Waymo for improperly passing school buses, and the company performed a voluntary software recall after related probes in Austin and Atlanta.

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