Waymo Under Investigation Following Robotaxi Incident Involving Child Near California School
U.S. auto safety regulators are currently investigating a Waymo autonomous vehicle involved in an incident where it struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, California. This marks the second recent inquiry into the behavior of the Alphabet Inc. unit’s robotaxis in proximity to children.
The collision occurred when the child was running across the street from behind a double-parked SUV. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the incident took place on January 23, within two blocks of an elementary school during drop-off hours, with children, a crossing guard, and other double-parked vehicles in the vicinity.
Waymo, which disclosed the incident earlier, reported that the child sustained only minor injuries, as confirmed by the regulator.
Related: NTSB Opens Probe Into Waymo Robotaxis Passing Stopped School Buses
This incident adds to the federal scrutiny regarding how Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis interact with young pedestrians. The company is already under investigation in Austin due to multiple instances where its vehicles drove past or failed to stop for school buses that were loading or unloading students.
Both NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated investigations into the Austin incidents. The NTSB’s probe, announced last week, follows a voluntary software recall from Waymo in December.
In a blog post released late Wednesday, Waymo acknowledged the Santa Monica incident, stating that its autonomous driving system “immediately detected” the child and “braked hard,” reducing the vehicle’s speed from approximately 17 miles per hour to under 6 miles per hour before the collision.
The company defended its autonomous driving system, asserting that its “peer-reviewed model” indicated a fully attentive human driver in the same scenario would have struck the child at around 14 miles per hour.
“This significant reduction in impact speed and severity demonstrates the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver,” the company stated.
NHTSA plans to investigate whether the Waymo vehicle “exercised appropriate caution” and assess the automated driving system’s intended behavior in and around school zones.
Related: Rideshare Drivers Protest Robotaxis as California Considers More Regulations
Waymo currently charges fares for fully autonomous rides without a human safety monitor in several U.S. cities, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, as well as through Uber Technologies Inc. in Austin and Atlanta. The company has ambitious plans to expand its services this year into many more American cities and even into the UK.
Backed by its parent company Google and a prestigious list of external investors, Waymo is reportedly raising over $15 billion at a valuation nearing $100 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Top photo: Waymo vehicles at a charging station in Santa Monica, California.
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U.S. auto safety regulators are currently investigating a Waymo autonomous vehicle involved in an incident where it struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, California. This marks the second recent inquiry into the behavior of the Alphabet Inc. unit’s robotaxis in proximity to children.
The collision occurred when the child was running across the street from behind a double-parked SUV. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the incident took place on January 23, within two blocks of an elementary school during drop-off hours, with children, a crossing guard, and other double-parked vehicles in the vicinity.
Waymo, which disclosed the incident earlier, reported that the child sustained only minor injuries, as confirmed by the regulator.
Related: NTSB Opens Probe Into Waymo Robotaxis Passing Stopped School Buses
This incident adds to the federal scrutiny regarding how Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis interact with young pedestrians. The company is already under investigation in Austin due to multiple instances where its vehicles drove past or failed to stop for school buses that were loading or unloading students.
Both NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have initiated investigations into the Austin incidents. The NTSB’s probe, announced last week, follows a voluntary software recall from Waymo in December.
In a blog post released late Wednesday, Waymo acknowledged the Santa Monica incident, stating that its autonomous driving system “immediately detected” the child and “braked hard,” reducing the vehicle’s speed from approximately 17 miles per hour to under 6 miles per hour before the collision.
The company defended its autonomous driving system, asserting that its “peer-reviewed model” indicated a fully attentive human driver in the same scenario would have struck the child at around 14 miles per hour.
“This significant reduction in impact speed and severity demonstrates the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver,” the company stated.
NHTSA plans to investigate whether the Waymo vehicle “exercised appropriate caution” and assess the automated driving system’s intended behavior in and around school zones.
Related: Rideshare Drivers Protest Robotaxis as California Considers More Regulations
Waymo currently charges fares for fully autonomous rides without a human safety monitor in several U.S. cities, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, as well as through Uber Technologies Inc. in Austin and Atlanta. The company has ambitious plans to expand its services this year into many more American cities and even into the UK.
Backed by its parent company Google and a prestigious list of external investors, Waymo is reportedly raising over $15 billion at a valuation nearing $100 billion, according to Bloomberg.
Top photo: Waymo vehicles at a charging station in Santa Monica, California.
Topics
California
K-12
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