Waymo Being Investigated After Child Struck Near School

The accident involving the pedestrian and the Waymo Jaguar robotaxi happened in Santa Monica, California, on Friday, January 23. Waymo has issued a statement saying that the company believes in being transparent. The accident happened near Grant Elementary, in Santa Monica, during student drop-offs. According to news reports, a ten-year-old girl ran out into the street from behind a double-parked SUV. Luckily, the child was not seriously injured. According to Waymo, the robotaxi slowed down but still hit the little girl going about 6 mph. The Waymo contacted 911 and stayed on the scene. Still the incident raises questions about autonomous vehicles. 

Waymo’s Statement about the Accident

Waymo issued a statement about the incident in a blog report on the company website. “At Waymo, we are committed to improving road safety, both for our riders and all those with whom we share the road. Part of that commitment is being transparent when incidents occur, which is why we are sharing details regarding an event in Santa Monica, California, on Friday, January 23, where one of our vehicles made contact with a young pedestrian.”

In the statement, Waymo describes what happened. In the news reports, witnesses seem to verify the basic facts. 

“The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle's path. Our 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.”

“Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911. The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene.”

“Following the event, we voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that same day. NHTSA has indicated to us that they intend to open an investigation into this incident, and we will cooperate fully with them throughout the process.”

Waymo Claims it Reacted Better than a Human Driver

Waymo included a line in its statement saying it believes that the robotaxi reacted better than a person would. 

“To put this in perspective, our peer-reviewed model shows that a fully attentive human driver in this same situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph. This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver.” 

“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.”

NHTSA Investigation

This isn’t the first time that NHTSA has been contacted about issues with Waymo robotaxis. NHTSA is looking into another incident with a Waymo, in Arizona, last November. In that case, the vehicle reportedly stopped after running over a passenger’s foot while he was exiting the vehicle. Emergency crews had to lift the vehicle off the person’s foot. There have also been complaints, in Texas, of Waymo robotaxis illegally passing school buses while they are stopped. NHTSA did not indicate how long the investigation into Waymo might take. NHTSA has also investigated other autonomous driving commercial ventures, including with GM's Cruise division. GM recently disbanded Cruise.

Mary Conway is a professional automotive journalist and has decades of experience specializing in automotive news analysis. She covered the Detroit Three for more than twenty years for the ABC affiliate, in Detroit. Her affection for the Motor City comes naturally. Her father ran a gas station while Mary was growing up, in Wisconsin.

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