The child was hit as the self-driving car attempted to break
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Stock image of a Waymo car.Credit : Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Waymo has confirmed one of its self-driving cars hit a child walking to school during drop-off
The child was hit while the car was attempting to break, according to a statement from Waymo
The investigation remains ongoing, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
Waymo confirmed one of its self-driving cars hit a child walking to school during drop-off.
The incident occurred in Santa Monica, Calif., when one of its vehicles “made contact with a young pedestrian” on Jan. 23, the technology company behind the autonomous fleet shared in a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 28, adding that Waymo is committed to transparency.
“The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle’s path,” the statement said. “Our technology immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle.”
“This event demonstrates the critical value of our safety systems,” a spokesperson for Waymo tells PEOPLE. “We remain committed to improving road safety where we operate as we continue on our mission to be the world’s most trusted driver.”
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The incident happened near Grant Elementary School on Pearl Street, and the child, whose age was not disclosed, suffered minor injuries, according to Los Angeles news station ABC 7.
“The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made,” the company added.
Reps for Waymo said they voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) the same day the incident took place, and that an investigation has been launched.
“The health and safety of our students and staff is our top priority, and the District is reinforcing traffic and pedestrian safety and safe routes to school at all campuses,” Brandyi Phillips, a spokeswoman for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, said in an email, per the Washington Post.
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The NHTSA shared details regarding the open investigation on Thursday, Jan. 29, saying that Waymo reported the incident to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) to inform them that one of their Automated Vehicles (AV) had struck a child near an elementary school.
NHTSA added that the situation unfolded within two blocks of the elementary school “during normal school drop off hours; that there were other children, a crossing guard, and several double-parked vehicles in the vicinity.”
The agency said “the child ran across the street from behind a double parked SUV” and that the Waymo was run on the program’s 5th Generation Automated Driving System (ADS), confirming no operator present at the time.
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The ongoing investigation will look into the behavior of the vehicles in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school pick-up and drop-off times, as well as whether the fleet is adhering to posted speed limits. Additionally, ODI will also investigate Waymo’s post-impact response.
