US auto safety regulators are investigating a Waymo autonomous vehicle that struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, California, the second recent probe to examine the behavior of the Alphabet Inc. unit’s robotaxis near children.
The vehicle collided at a low speed with the child as they ran across a street from behind a double-parked SUV, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday in a notice disclosing the probe. The Jan. 23 incident took place within two blocks of an elementary school during drop off hours, with children, a crossing guard and other double parked vehicles nearby, NHTSA said.
While police characterized the incident as a “non-injury collision,” Waymo told regulators that the child sustained minor injuries.
The National Transportation Safety Board separately said it would investigate the collision in coordination with the Santa Monica Police Department.
The episode adds to federal scrutiny of how Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis handle encounters near young pedestrians. The company is already under exam