Waymo Hits Child Near Elementary School, Company Claims Human Driver Would've Done The Same

While Waymo's camera-laden Jaguar I-Paces are in more cities than any other driverless taxi service, they are still far from perfect. A Waymo vehicle struck a child last month near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California. The kid suffered minor injuries, with the company claiming that the "pedestrian" immediately got back up and walked to the sidewalk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the incident.

There were plenty of witnesses on hand to see the collision during the morning drop-off. According to USA Today, a crossing guard and several other children were in the vicinity of the scene. Federal regulators stated that the child ran out into the street behind a double-parked SUV. Waymo claims its vehicle braked as soon as the kid emerged from behind the SUV, slowing from 17 miles per hour down to under 6 mph. The company estimates that a human would hit the child at a much higher speed. Waymo stated in a release:

"To put this in perspective, our peer-reviewed model shows that a fully attentive human driver in this same situation would have made contact with the pedestrian at approximately 14 mph. This significant reduction in impact speed and severity is a demonstration of the material safety benefit of the Waymo Driver."

It should be noted that the Waymo vehicle was the first to call 911 and remained at the scene until law enforcement cleared it to leave. However, Waymo vehicles have previously had difficulty knowing when they shouldn't pass a stopped school bus. The Austin Independent School District reported 20 incidents last year in which driverless taxis passed buses with stop signs extended and lights flashing. It persisted even after Waymo pushed an update to resolve the issue. The school district requested that operations stop during school pickup and drop-off periods, but Waymo declined.

While school buses seem to be fair game to pass, Waymo taxis ended up in a standoff after colliding on a San Francisco street last December. A pair of Jaguars hit each other on a dead-end street, blocking traffic and a third Waymo. It took a technician to come out and move a vehicle out of the way so the others could return to regular service.