WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL), is under investigation by U.S. auto safety regulators following an incident where one of its fully autonomous vehicles struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California. The collision occurred on January 23 during morning drop-off hours and resulted in minor injuries.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the child ran into the street from behind a double-parked SUV and was hit by the Waymo vehicle, which was operating without a human safety driver.
Regulators are examining whether the autonomous system exercised appropriate caution in the school zone and how it is designed to handle situations involving young pedestrians.
Waymo reported the collision to the authorities voluntarily on the same day. The company stated that its system braked sharply, reducing the vehicle's speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before the impact, arguing that this outcome demonstrated the safety benefits of its technology compared to a human driver.
The investigation into this incident adds to the broader scrutiny surrounding Waymo's robotaxi operations, including previous inquiries into vehicles passing stopped school buses.
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