Overview
- NHTSA opened a formal investigation into a Jan. 23 collision in which a Waymo vehicle struck a child near an elementary school during morning drop-off in Santa Monica.
- Waymo reported the incident the same day and says its system detected the child emerging from behind a double-parked SUV and braked from about 17 mph to under 6 mph before impact.
- The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate in coordination with the Santa Monica Police Department.
- Police described the crash as a non-injury incident, while Waymo told regulators the child sustained minor injuries, creating a discrepancy in accounts.
- The probe follows earlier reports of Waymo vehicles improperly passing stopped school buses in Austin and Atlanta, which led to a November software patch and a December voluntary recall even as some districts continued to log violations.