The incident occurred during school drop-off hours near Grant Elementary School at 24th and Pearl streets
Waymo reported that one of its self-driving vehicles braked hard and reduced speed from 17 mph to under 6 mph before striking a child pedestrian who walked into the roadway from behind a parked SUV on Jan. 23 near a Santa Monica elementary school.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has indicated it plans to open an investigation, and Waymo said it will cooperate.
In a Jan. 28 statement, Waymo said the pedestrian “suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path.” The Waymo Driver detected the individual once they emerged and applied hard braking, the company said.
Waymo cited its peer-reviewed safety model, claiming a fully attentive human driver in the same scenario would have struck the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph. “This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver,” the statement said.
The child stood up after contact, walked to the sidewalk, and was evaluated by first responders. The child sustained injuries and was released at the scene. The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed until cleared by law enforcement.
The incident occurred during school drop-off hours near Grant Elementary School at 24th and Pearl streets. Witnesses reported other children, a crossing guard and double-parked vehicles in the area.
Santa Monica police confirmed deputies responded but released no further details. The vehicle was operating without a safety driver using Waymo’s fifth-generation automated system.
The case adds to ongoing scrutiny of Waymo’s operations in California. NHTSA has previously investigated and required recalls for the company, including a 2024 recall of more than 1,200 vehicles over a software defect linked to minor crashes. Waymo launched commercial robotaxi service in Los Angeles in 2024, covering more than 120 square miles of the county.
