The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into a self-driving vehicle operated by Waymo after it struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, during morning drop-off hours in January.
In a filing published on Jan. 28, the agency said it had launched Preliminary Evaluation PE26001 to assess whether the autonomous driving system exercised appropriate caution given the presence of children, crossing guards and double-parked vehicles in the school zone. The incident occurred on Jan. 23, 2026, within two blocks of an elementary school.
See also: U.S. State Safety Board Probes Waymo Over School Bus Violations by Robotaxis
According to the regulator’s Office of Defects Investigation, the child ran into the street from behind a double-parked SUV and was struck by the Waymo vehicle, which was operating without a human safety driver. The child sustained minor injuries. Waymo voluntarily notified the agency on the day of the collision and submitted its required report under the Standing General Order on automated driving system crashes later in the month.
Waymo said its vehicle was travelling at about 17 miles per hour before the automated driving system detected the pedestrian emerging from behind the stopped vehicle and applied hard braking. “The system reduced the vehicle’s speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact occurred,” the company said in a blog post detailing the incident. Waymo added that the pedestrian stood up immediately after the collision and walked to the sidewalk, and that the vehicle called 911 and remained on scene until cleared by police.
See also: Waymo Opens Public Robotaxi Service in Miami With 60-Square-Mile Coverage
The company also cited its internal safety benchmarking, stating that a fully attentive human driver in the same scenario would have been expected to make contact at a higher speed. “Based on our peer-reviewed safety model, a human driver would have likely struck the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph,” Waymo said.
The preliminary evaluation covers about 3,067 vehicles equipped with Waymo’s fifth-generation automated driving system, which is currently deployed in its commercial robotaxi operations. NHTSA said the investigation will examine how the system is designed to operate in and around school zones, including its performance during pick-up and drop-off periods, compliance with posted speed limits, and the company’s post-impact response procedures.
See also: Waymo to Update Robotaxi Software After Power Outage Stalls Vehicles in San Francisco
The probe is being conducted under NHTSA’s Standing General Order 2021-01, which requires manufacturers to report certain crashes involving automated driving systems. The agency said the evaluation will determine whether the system’s behavior in the school zone raises potential safety-related concerns that warrant further action.
Waymo said it would cooperate fully with the regulator as the review continues.