The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened Preliminary Evaluation PE26001 on 28 January 2026, five days after a Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California. The agency's summary states the vehicle was operating autonomously with no safety operator present, during morning drop-off hours. The child emerged from behind a parked SUV and sustained minor injuries. The investigation targets Waymo's fifth-generation Automated Driving System and will examine whether the vehicle exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to a school at drop-off time.