Federal regulators opened a preliminary NHTSA probe after a Waymo autonomous vehicle struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school on Jan. 23. The child suffered minor injuries and there was no safety operator in the vehicle. Investigators will review the system's speed, reaction to visual cues like crossing guards and parked vehicles, and post-crash procedures. Waymo says it reported the event the same day and that its data show the vehicle reduced impact speed compared with a modeled human driver.
NHTSA Opens Probe After Waymo Vehicle Strikes Child Near Santa Monica School
Waymo operates Level 4 self-driving vehicles in select U.S. cities, where the car controls all driving tasks without a human behind the wheel.(AP Newsroom)
Federal safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation after a Waymo-operated autonomous vehicle struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, on Jan. 23. The child sustained minor injuries and there was no safety operator inside the vehicle.
What Happened
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) documents, the collision occurred during morning drop-off within roughly two blocks of the school. The street was busy: several children were present, a crossing guard was on duty and some vehicles were double-parked. Investigators say the pedestrian ran into the roadway from behind a double-parked SUV and into the Waymo vehicle's path.
Federal investigators are now examining whether Waymo’s automated system exercised enough caution near a school zone during morning drop-off hours.
Regulatory Review
On Jan. 29, NHTSA confirmed a preliminary investigation by its Office of Defects Investigation. The agency will examine whether Waymo's automated driving system exercised appropriate caution near a school zone and during peak pick-up and drop-off times. Key review items include whether the vehicle complied with posted speed limits, how it responded to visual cues such as crossing guards and stopped vehicles, and whether post-crash procedures and reporting met federal expectations.
Waymo said it voluntarily notified regulators the same day and will cooperate fully with the investigation.
Waymo's Account
Waymo issued a statement saying its sensors detected the pedestrian as they began to emerge from behind a stopped vehicle and that the Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from about 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact. The company also cited a peer-reviewed model estimating that a fully attentive human driver would have contacted the pedestrian at roughly 14 mph, arguing the automated system materially reduced impact speed and severity. According to Waymo, after the incident the pedestrian walked to the sidewalk, 911 was called, and the vehicle stayed at the scene until law enforcement cleared it.
No safety operator was inside the vehicle at the time of the crash, raising fresh questions about how autonomous cars handle unpredictable situations involving children.
Context And Implications
Waymo's fleet operates at Level 4 autonomy on NHTSA's six-level scale, meaning vehicles are designed to handle all driving tasks within defined service areas without an onboard safety operator. Level 4 systems are not available for consumer purchase and are limited to commercial operations in select cities.
This inquiry follows an earlier NHTSA review that began in May 2024 and examined incidents involving collisions with stationary objects and potential failures to follow traffic controls; that prior probe closed in July 2025 after review of data and company responses. Safety advocates say the Santa Monica incident highlights remaining questions about how autonomous systems detect and react to unpredictable pedestrian behavior, especially involving children.
Why It Matters
School zones are some of the most challenging environments for any driver because of sudden movements and unpredictable behavior by children. The NHTSA investigation will help determine whether current automated driving systems meet the heightened safety expectations for these sensitive areas and could inform future rules on local oversight, operational limits, and data reporting for self-driving fleets.
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