A Waymo robotaxi hit a child in Santa Monica on January 23rd, 2026. The accident occurred at a speed of approximately 10 km/h. According to Waymo, the child suddenly stepped onto the road between two parked vehicles, and the Waymo, traveling at 17 miles per hour (approximately 27 km/h), braked immediately but was unable to stop in time.
The accident occurred near an elementary school when the child ran in front of the Waymo onto the road toward the school in front of a car parked in a double lane. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has now launched an investigation into the incident.
Waymo said in a statement:
The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path. Our technology immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle. The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made.
[..] Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911. The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene.
In the US, not only are lower speed limits enforced around schools, but school buses are also equipped with stop signs that indicate that other vehicles must stop. This is too often ignored, as the following video shows:
This article was also published in German.
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I’m curious whether Waymo’s braking reactions are slower, equal, or faster than those of a human being.
Excellent Inside Edition report on humans who ignore signals to stop when a school bus is allowing kids to board or leave. For one family to lose three children at once is heartbreaking.
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Waymo mentioned this in their statement. They say that according to their data, a human driver would have taken more time so slow down and hit the child at a higher speed.
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