Waymo Self-Driving Car Involved in Accident Near School in US

US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Launches Investigation into Waymo Self-Driving Vehicle Incident

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced an investigation into a recent incident involving a Waymo self-driving vehicle that struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California. The incident occurred on January 23 during normal school drop-off hours.

According to NHTSA, the child ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the Alphabet-unit Waymo autonomous vehicle. The agency has stated that there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity at the time of the incident.

Waymo has confirmed that it will cooperate with the investigation and provided details about the incident. According to the company, the child “suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path”. The self-driving vehicle immediately detected the individual and reduced speed before making contact.

NHTSA is conducting a preliminary evaluation to examine whether Waymo’s autonomous vehicle exercised appropriate caution given its proximity to the elementary school during drop-off hours. The agency will also investigate the vehicle’s adherence to posted speed limits and its post-impact response.

This incident has renewed concerns about the safety of robotaxis, which are being deployed in increasing numbers across the country. The US Senate Commerce Committee had previously scheduled a hearing on self-driving cars for February 4, featuring Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Pena.

Additionally, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is also conducting an investigation into the incident. This follows another NTSB investigation into Waymo’s robotaxis in Austin, Texas, which found that vehicles had illegally passed stopped school buses at least 19 times since the start of the school year.

Source: Al Jazeera