Waymo Submits Documents in NHTSA Probe of Santa Monica Child Collision

Waymo has begun submitting documents to federal regulators as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration investigates a January collision in which one of the company’s driverless vehicles struck a 9-year-old girl near a school in Santa Monica, California.

An initial batch of Waymo’s responses has been placed in NHTSA’s investigation file, although much of the substantive information currently available to the public is redacted as confidential business information. NHTSA said it is reviewing additional responses and plans to publish them after that review is completed.

NHTSA seeks details on Waymo’s school-zone behaviour

The investigation reaches well beyond the circumstances of the January crash. NHTSA asked Waymo to explain how its automated driving system identifies and maps school zones, determines applicable speed limits and operates around schools and areas with large numbers of children.

The agency also requested information about complaints and reports involving similar behaviour, along with records of crashes, injuries, software and hardware versions, vehicle video, testing, system changes,s and safety safeguards. The publicly released Waymo response, dated July 8, identifies itself as the company’s second submission to NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation, but many of its responses to the questions are redacted.

NHTSA sent Waymo 12 questions, some containing multiple parts, on March 23. Waymo initially faced a May 8 deadline but requested additional time in a May 1 letter while also seeking clarification on parts of the information request. The regulator ultimately gave Waymo more time to respond to 10 of the 12 questions, and the company responded to some requests in July.

Santa Monica crash remains under investigation.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary investigation, the crash occurred at about 8:30 a.m.January 23. An unoccupied 2024 Jaguar I-Pace equipped with Waymo’s automated driving system had completed a passenger drop-off near an elementary school before travelling north on 24th Street.

The 9-year-old student exited another vehicle and entered the roadway while crossing midblock. The Waymo vehicle was travelling at 17 mph before braking and striking the child near its front-right headlight assembly, according to video evidence reviewed by the NTSB.

The child fell after the collision, then walked to the curb. She reported minor injuries and did not require medical transport. A Waymo remote assistance agent contacted 911 after the crash, and the vehicle remained nearby until Santa Monica police arrived.

The NTSB and NHTSA investigations are separate. NTSB says its inquiry remains ongoing as it works to determine the probable cause, while NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation is examining whether a potential vehicle safety defect is involved. The heavily redacted Waymo submissions do not yet provide the public with the company’s detailed answers to many of the regulator’s questions.