Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Reportedly Struck Child Near Elementary School in Santa Monica, California
A Waymo driverless vehicle reportedly struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California during school drop-off hours. According to filings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the child allegedly sustained minor injuries. The vehicle was purportedly operating on Waymo's 5th Generation Automated Driving System without a human safety driver. Waymo reported the incident to federal regulators, who subsequently opened an investigation.
- Date it happened
- 2026-01-23
- Organisation involved
- Waymo
- Product, system or model
- Pedestrian detection system, Autonomous vehicle perception system, Autonomous vehicle decision-making system, Automated braking system, 5th-generation Waymo Driver
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