— Self-driving company Waymo (Google) is the focus of a new federal investigation after an automated vehicle hit a child near a California elementary school.
The January 23 Santa Monica incident involved a Waymo autonomous vehicle with no safety operator in the vehicle.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the vehicle was operating on Waymo’s 5th Generation Automated Driving System (ADS) during normal school hours.
In the immediate area were other children, a crossing guard and multiple double-parked vehicles. The child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV and was struck, causing minor injuries.
Waymo released a statement following the incident noting it was the self-driving company that contacted NHTSA about the collision on the day of the incident.
According to Waymo, the incident could have been much worse if not for the self-driving technology involved because the child suddenly appeared from behind a tall SUV and directly into the path of the vehicle.
The "Waymo Driver" (technology) "immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle. The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made."
The self-driving car company insists a "fully attentive human driver in this same situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph."
The statement says the child stood up and walked to the sidewalk as Waymo dialed 911.
"This event demonstrates the critical value of our safety systems. We remain committed to improving road safety where we operate as we continue on our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver." — Waymo
The company says it will fully cooperate during the investigation, which joins a separate federal investigation opened in October 2025 to learn more about how Waymo self-driving vehicles operate around school buses.
