Following an incident where a Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into the safety of autonomous systems in school zones. The collision resulted in minor injuries to the child and raised questions about the effectiveness of Waymo’s technology in crowded environments.
On January 23rd, the Waymo vehicle was traveling at 17 mph when it detected the child and braked, reducing its speed to 6 mph before the impact occurred. Waymo claims that its autonomous system’s quick reaction likely mitigated more severe injuries. In response to the incident, NHTSA will assess whether the vehicle exercised appropriate caution considering the school’s proximity and the presence of young pedestrians.
The investigation will focus on Waymo’s behavior in school zones, particularly during busy drop-off and pick-up times. NHTSA will also evaluate the vehicle’s adherence to speed limits and its interaction with vulnerable road users. Waymo emphasized that a human driver in a similar scenario would have made contact with the pedestrian at a higher speed, underscoring the potential safety benefits of autonomous driving technology.
Source: The Verge