Thomas Unise
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Waymo following an incident where one of its autonomous vehicles struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California.
The Santa Monica Incident
On January 23, a Waymo self-driving vehicle hit a child who ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV during school drop-off hours. According to Waymo, its technology detected the child immediately upon emergence, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact. The child reportedly sustained minor injuries and was able to walk away from the incident.
Waymo claims its peer-reviewed studies suggest a fully attentive human driver would have made contact at approximately 14 mph, though the company has not released video evidence of the incident. The company voluntarily contacted NHTSA the same day and has pledged full cooperation with the investigation.
Ongoing Safety Concerns
This is not Waymo’s first safety issue involving schools. In December, the company filed a voluntary software recall after multiple incidents of its robotaxis illegally passing stopped school buses across different states. The Austin Independent School District documented 19 different instances of Waymo vehicles “illegally and dangerously” passing school buses since the 2025-2026 school year.
In February 2024, a Waymo vehicle struck a bicyclist in San Francisco when the cyclist turned left in front of the vehicle at an intersection. The autonomous vehicle was unable to detect the cyclist earlier due to a large truck blocking its view.
Waymo’s Operational Scale
Despite these incidents, Waymo has achieved significant operational milestones:
- Surpassed 100 million miles of autonomous driving as of July 2025
- Currently accumulating 2 million miles weekly
- Completed over 10 million paid rides in the U.S.
- Operating in five major cities: Atlanta, Austin, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco
NHTSA Investigation Focus
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation will examine whether Waymo’s automated driving system exercised appropriate caution near the elementary school during drop-off hours. The investigation will likely cover:
- The system’s intended behavior in school zones
- Adherence to posted speed limits
- Waymo’s post-impact response protocols
Future Expansion Plans
Despite the ongoing safety scrutiny, Waymo continues ambitious expansion plans, targeting launches in 15 additional U.S. cities and international deployment in London by 2026, with test vehicles already operating in Tokyo.
This investigation comes at a critical time for autonomous vehicle technology as companies like Waymo attempt to scale operations while maintaining public trust in their safety systems.
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