Overview
- NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened a probe into the Jan. 23 collision near a Santa Monica elementary school during drop‑off hours to assess whether the vehicle used appropriate caution around young pedestrians.
- Teamsters California, representing about 250,000 workers, called on the CPUC to indefinitely suspend Waymo’s operating license, citing safety risks and threats to driving jobs.
- Waymo says its car detected the child emerging from behind a double‑parked SUV, braked hard from roughly 17 mph to about 6 mph, the child had minor injuries, and the vehicle stopped, called 911, and remained at the scene.
- Federal scrutiny also includes investigations by NHTSA and the NTSB into reports that Waymo vehicles passed stopped school buses; the company recalled more than 3,000 vehicles in December to address bus‑stop behavior.
- Local data continue to raise concerns, with Austin ISD documenting at least 24 instances of Waymo vehicles illegally passing buses since August, while Waymo prepares to defend its safety record before the Senate and cites lower crash rates and 200 million autonomous miles.