Waymo Investigation | Child Incident Near School

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an investigation into Alphabet’s Waymo after a self-driving vehicle struck a child near a Santa Monica elementary school, raising fresh regulatory scrutiny over autonomous vehicle safety.

The probe could intensify regulatory pressure on Waymo’s robotaxi operations and potentially impact Alphabet’s broader autonomous vehicle commercialization timeline.

Key Takeaways

NHTSA investigating Waymo after child struck near school
Vehicle reduced speed from 17 mph to 6 mph before impact
Child sustained minor injuries, ran from behind parked SUV

Market reaction & context

Alphabet (GOOGL.O) shares were not trading during after-hours following the investigation announcement. The incident marks another regulatory challenge for autonomous vehicle companies, which have faced increased scrutiny following similar safety incidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot and other self-driving systems.

Waymo operates one of the most advanced commercial robotaxi services in the United States, with active operations in Phoenix, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

Detailed analysis

The January 23 incident occurred when a child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV toward the elementary school ¹. Waymo’s vehicle detected the child and braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 miles per hour to six miles per hour before impact ².

NHTSA said it plans to examine the vehicle’s “intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school operating hours” ². The agency’s investigation will focus on how Waymo’s autonomous driving system responds to pedestrians in school environments.

Company response

Waymo said in a blog post that “the vehicle detected the child as soon as the child emerged from behind the SUV and braked hard” ⁶. The company emphasized that the child sustained only minor injuries and that emergency services responded to the scene.

This investigation comes amid separate NHTSA probes into Waymo’s vehicles, including one examining incidents where robotaxis passed stopped school buses ⁹.

Regulatory outlook

The probe represents a critical test for Waymo’s safety protocols and could influence broader autonomous vehicle regulations. Federal regulators have increased oversight of self-driving technology following multiple incidents across the industry.

Waymo’s response to this investigation may determine whether additional restrictions are placed on autonomous vehicle operations near schools and in pedestrian-heavy areas.

Not investment advice. For informational purposes only.