Waymo is releasing new details about a January collision in which one of its autonomous vehicles struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school, saying its self-driving system significantly reduced the severity of the crash — even as the incident fuels mounting criticism from labor leaders and remains under federal investigation.
The collision occurred near Grant Elementary School during morning drop-off hours and prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to open a preliminary safety probe. According to Waymo, the child entered the roadway from behind a double-parked vehicle, and the autonomous system braked hard, reducing speed from roughly 17 miles per hour to under 6 miles per hour before impact. The child suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
Waymo has said it voluntarily reported the incident to regulators and is cooperating fully with the investigation. The company has framed the crash as evidence that autonomous systems can mitigate harm compared to human drivers, particularly in unpredictable scenarios.
Local Advocates Taking Up for Waymo
The incident has sharpened debate in Santa Monica over school-zone safety and the role of autonomous vehicles on city streets. Santa Monica Families for Safe Streets emphasized both relief and concern in a statement following the crash.
“Any incident involving a child and a vehicle is frightening,” said Leonora Camner, a Santa Monica parent and advocate. “We are extremely relieved to know that the child was not seriously injured.”
Camner pointed to distracted and speeding human drivers as the most persistent threat to children, arguing that lower speed limits and traffic calming are essential. At the same time, she said some parents see potential safety benefits in Waymo’s technology, citing strict compliance with stop signs, consistent speeds, and faster reaction times than human drivers.
“In our view, the presence of more Waymo vehicles, combined with better street design and traffic calming, moves our community in the direction of safer streets for children,” Camner said.
Labor Says Not So Fast
Labor leaders took a sharply different view. In a statement, Peter Finn and Victor Mineros, co-chairs of Teamsters California, called the NHTSA investigation a “horrifying wake-up call” and urged state regulators to halt Waymo’s operations.
“Robotaxis threaten workers’ jobs and are now terrorizing our kids,” the statement said, arguing the crash reflects broader efforts by technology companies to replace human labor with automation. The Teamsters also accused Waymo vehicles of continuing to illegally pass stopped school buses despite prior recalls and investigations.
The union is calling on the California Public Utilities Commission to indefinitely suspend Waymo’s operating permit. “Being a parent is hard enough — nobody should have to worry about a driverless car putting their child in danger,” the statement said.
NHTSA has not yet released findings from its investigation. City officials have not announced changes to local policy, but the incident has intensified scrutiny of autonomous vehicles operating near schools — and sharpened divisions over whether robotaxis represent a safety improvement or an unacceptable risk for Santa Monica’s children.
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