Waymo vehicle hits child near Santa Monica elementary school

A Waymo self-driving taxi struck a kid adjacent a Santa Monica simple schoolhouse during drop-off hours, triggering an probe into the incidental by The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The kid sustained insignificant injuries, Waymo said. There were different children, a crossing defender and respective double-parked vehicles successful the vicinity erstwhile the mishap occurred past Friday, according to NHTSA.

The probe said the kid was moving crossed the thoroughfare towards the schoolhouse erstwhile they were hit. A Waymo connection said the kid appeared from down a ample SUV.

“The lawsuit occurred erstwhile the pedestrian abruptly entered the roadway from down a gangly SUV, moving straight into our vehicle’s path,” Waymo said. “The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing velocity from astir 17 mph to nether 6 mph earlier interaction was made.”

Waymo reported the incidental to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and said it would afloat cooperate. The Waymo progressive was operating connected the company’s 5th procreation automated driving strategy without a information driver.

After being struck, the pedestrian stood up and walked to the sidewalk, wherever witnesses called 911, Waymo said. The institution said the incidental demonstrated the information benefits of Waymo.

“Our peer-reviewed exemplary shows that a afloat attentive quality operator successful this aforesaid concern would person made interaction with the pedestrian astatine astir 14 mph,” the connection said. “This important simplification successful interaction velocity and severity is simply a objection of the worldly information payment of the Waymo Driver.”