Waymo robotaxi strikes child outside Santa Monica school

A fully autonomous Waymo vehicle struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school during morning drop-off, reigniting a debate over the safety of robotaxis in high-density pedestrian zones. What happened A driverless Waymo robotaxi hit a child who had run from behind a double-parked SUV into a street outside a school in Santa Monica, California. The child suffered minor injuries and able to walk back to the pavement. According to authorities, other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles were also in the vicinity. The incident resulted in an investigation by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into whether the robotaxi “exercised appropriate caution given, among other things, its proximity to the elementary school during drop off hours, and the presence of young pedestrians and other potential vulnerable road users.” It also said it would examine Waymo’s “intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school pick up/drop off times, including but not limited to its adherence to posted speed limits.” Waymo reported the incident voluntarily and used the data to argue that its system performed better than a human would have (claiming a human would have hit the child at 14 mph). However, critics and school districts point to a lack of corporate accountability, noting that Waymo previously refused requests from school districts in Austin and Atlanta to halt operations during bell times despite repeated reports of vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. Why it happened Waymo said the self-driving vehicle immediately detected the child as they emerged from behind the stopped vehicle, braking hard and reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made. What it means F or those impacted: For the child and family, it is a traumatic event that underscores the vulnerability of pedestrians in "smart" cities. For the school community, it has heightened anxiety regarding the presence of driverless cars during transit hours. For society: The incident catalysed U.S. federal scrutiny and calls for the removal of Waymo's operating licence. It also coincides with a U.S. Senate Commerce Committee hearing on self-driving safety. Society is now grappling with whether "safer than a human" is a sufficient benchmark, or if robotaxis should be restricted from sensitive zones such as schools, where the margin for error is zero. System 🤖 Waymo Driver Developer: Waymo Country: USA Sector: Automotive Purpose: Automate steering, acceleration, braking Technology: Self-driving system Issue: Accountability; Accuracy/reliability; Safety Resource s 📃 Waymo. A commitment to transparency and road safety: event overview Investigations, assessments, audits 👁️ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration preliminary investigation PE26001

Date it happened

2026-01-01

Organisation involved

Waymo

Product, system or model

Waymo Driver

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