Waymo Faces Investigation After Driverless Car Struck Kid Near School

NHTSA said its defect office opened the new probe “to investigate whether the Waymo AV exercised appropriate caution given, among other things, its proximity to the elementary school during drop off hours, and the presence of young pedestrians and other potential vulnerable road users.”
The ODI office said it “expects that its investigation will examine the (Automated Driving System)’s intended behavior in school zones and neighboring areas, especially during normal school pick up/drop off times, including but not limited to its adherence to posted speed limits.” ODI said it will also investigate Waymo’s response after the incident.

Waymo said in a statement it is “committed to improving road safety, both for our riders and all those with whom we share the road.” The company said it voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the same day as the crash and plans to cooperate with the federal probe.
Waymos are categorized on NHTSA’s six-point autonomy scale as Level 4 vehicles, which are considered highly autonomous.

The agency says of Level 4 systems: “When engaged, the system handles all driving tasks while you, now the passenger, are not needed to maneuver the vehicle. The system can only operate the vehicle in limited service areas, not universally. A human driver is not needed to operate the vehicle.”
NHTSA is careful to note that cars with Level 4 technology are not available for consumers to purchase, but they are used by ride-hailing services in several U.S. cities.
The agency previously opened a preliminary evaluation of Waymo’s self-driving cars in May 2024 after receiving reports that the company’s vehicles crashed into objects, including gates, chains and parked cars.

The agency also cited instances in which the company’s automated-driving system appeared to disobey traffic-control devices. The investigation was later closed by regulators in July 2025.

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