US opens safety probe after Waymo robotaxi hits child near school

U.S. auto safety regulators have opened a formal investigation after a Waymo self-driving vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, raising fresh questions about the safety of autonomous vehicles around children.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the incident happened on January 23 during normal school drop-off hours. According to regulators, the child ran into the road from behind a double-parked SUV and was struck by the Alphabet-owned robotaxi. The child suffered minor injuries.

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NHTSA investigation into Waymo school-zone safety

The NHTSA investigation will examine whether the vehicle acted with enough caution given its proximity to an elementary school. The agency said there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the area at the time.

Regulators will also review how the vehicle behaved after impact and whether it followed posted speed limits during school pick-up and drop-off times.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it has also opened its own investigation into the crash.

Waymo says vehicle braked hard before impact

Waymo said the child suddenly entered the road from behind a tall SUV. The company said the vehicle detected the child immediately and braked hard, slowing from about 17 miles per hour to under 6 miles per hour before contact.

Waymo added that a computer model suggested a fully attentive human driver would have hit the child at roughly 14 miles per hour in the same situation.

After the collision, the child stood up and walked to the sidewalk. Waymo said it called 911 and kept the vehicle stopped until police cleared it to leave.

Past incidents and software recall raise scrutiny

The incident comes as robotaxis expand across U.S. cities. It also follows earlier safety issues involving Waymo near schools.

On the same day, the NTSB opened a separate investigation after Waymo vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses in Austin, Texas, at least 19 times this school year.

In December, Waymo recalled more than 3,000 vehicles to fix software that allowed cars to pass school buses while children were boarding or exiting. The Austin school district had asked Waymo to stop operating near schools, but the company declined.