Waymo submits documents to NHTSA in child collision investigation
Waymo has handed over responses to U.S. safety regulator NHTSA as part of a probe into a January crash where a robotaxi struck a child at low speed. The initial documents released are fully redacted but indicate the investigation is moving forward.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) posted an initial batch of documents from Waymo on Friday, related to its investigation into a crash that occurred in January. The agency said it is still reviewing additional responses from the company and will publish them once complete.
The responses available so far were entirely redacted, with Waymo citing confidential business information. Even so, the release signals progress in the investigation after Waymo had been granted extra time to prepare its answers.
The Santa Monica crash
The incident took place on January 23 in Santa Monica, California, when one of Waymo's Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis, driving near a school, collided with a 9-year-old girl who had stepped into the street. The vehicle had been traveling at 17 miles per hour but braked and slowed to six miles per hour before the collision. The child fell but was able to walk to the curb afterward and reported only minor injuries, with no medical transport required.
Two separate probes
Alongside NHTSA's investigation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is conducting its own review, which typically concludes with a detailed final report about 12 months after the incident. NHTSA announced its investigation a week after the crash and sent Waymo 12 questions in March, covering topics such as how the company sets speed limits in school zones and whether it had received complaints about robotaxi behavior near schools.
Waymo's original deadline to respond was May 8, but the company requested an extension. In a letter, Waymo's senior director of safety, Matthew Schwall, said the goal was to provide useful information to investigators while avoiding unnecessary burdens for both sides. NHTSA granted additional time for 10 of the 12 questions, and Waymo confirmed this week that all of its submissions are now complete.
