A Waymo autonomous robotaxi struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school during morning drop-off hours on January 23, leading to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation and renewed debate over the safety of self-driving vehicles in school zones.
The incident occurred near Grant Elementary School when a young pedestrian “suddenly entered the roadway from behind a double-parked SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path,” according to a blog post published this week by Waymo. The company said the robotaxi’s autonomous system braked hard, reducing speed from about 17 miles per hour to under 6 mph before lightly contacting the child, who sustained minor injuries and was able to walk to the sidewalk afterward. The vehicle remained stopped at the scene until law enforcement cleared it.
In its blog, Waymo emphasized its approach to transparency and safety following the collision: “Part of that commitment is being transparent when incidents occur, which is why we are sharing details regarding an event in Santa Monica…” The company said it voluntarily reported the incident to NHTSA the same day and “will cooperate fully with them throughout the process.”
Waymo also pointed to internal modeling suggesting that a fully attentive human driver in the same scenario would have struck the child at around 14 mph, more than double the robotaxi’s impact speed. “This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver,” the blog states.
Despite the company’s framing, the collision has quickly drawn regulatory scrutiny. NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation will examine whether the Waymo vehicle exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to an elementary school during peak drop-off times, including whether the system adhered to posted speed limits and other safety protocols.
The inquiry adds to mounting pressure on Waymo’s autonomous program. The National Transportation Safety Board is separately investigating reports that Waymo robotaxis in Austin, Texas, illegally passed stopped school buses at least 19 times — a safety concern that prompted Waymo to recall over 3,000 vehicles last year to update its software.
For Santa Monica residents and families, the incident underscores the complex realities of integrating autonomous vehicles into dense urban environments with children, crossing guards, double-parked cars, and unpredictable pedestrian movement — especially around schools where human behavior challenges even the most advanced collision-avoidance systems. As regulators weigh potential reforms and road-use policies, the community’s trust in robotaxi safety may be tested anew.
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