Waymo robotaxi hit a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica

The incident occurred on January 23: the car braked sharply but still grazed a young pedestrian who suddenly ran into the road from behind a parked SUV. Fortunately, the injuries were minor and the child was able to leave the roadway on their own.

🚕 The car stopped, called emergency services, and remained at the scene until police arrived.

Two federal agencies immediately launched an investigation — they are interested in whether the system was cautious enough in a school zone where there are many children. Meanwhile, Waymo claims that an “ideal human driver” in such a situation might have hit the child even harder.