Waymo Robotaxi Hits Child Near School, Triggering NHTSA Investigation
January 29, 2026 · by Fintool Agent
Federal safety regulators have opened an investigation after an Alphabet-0.14%-owned Waymo robotaxi struck a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica, California — the latest in a series of incidents raising questions about autonomous vehicle safety around children as the company pursues aggressive expansion.
The January 23 incident occurred within two blocks of Grant Elementary School during morning drop-off hours. According to NHTSA documents, the child "ran across the street from behind a double-parked SUV towards the school and was struck by the Waymo AV."
The child sustained minor injuries. Waymo voluntarily reported the incident to regulators the same day.
What Happened
Waymo said its vehicle was traveling at approximately 17 miles per hour when it detected the child emerging from behind a tall SUV. The autonomous system "braked hard," reducing speed to under 6 mph before impact.
"Following contact, the pedestrian stood up immediately, walked to the sidewalk, and we called 911," Waymo said in a blog post. "The vehicle remained stopped, moved to the side of the road, and stayed there until law enforcement cleared the vehicle to leave the scene."
The company claimed that based on its "peer-reviewed model," a fully attentive human driver in the same situation would have made contact at approximately 14 mph — more than double Waymo's impact speed.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation is now examining "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."
Ask Fintool AI AgentA Pattern of School Zone Concerns
The Santa Monica incident lands amid heightened regulatory scrutiny of Waymo's behavior around children and school buses.
Austin School Bus Incidents
The Austin Independent School District identified at least 19 incidents where Waymo vehicles illegally passed stopped school buses. The district demanded that Waymo halt robotaxi operations during school bus hours until safety concerns could be resolved.
Last week, the National Transportation Safety Board opened its own investigation specifically focused on "the interaction between Waymo vehicles and school buses stopped for loading and unloading students in Austin, Texas."
Earlier NHTSA Probe
NHTSA had already launched a separate investigation "to investigate the performance of the Waymo ADS around stopped school buses and the system's ability to follow traffic safety laws concerning school buses."
Los Angeles Crash
In a separate incident on January 25, a Waymo vehicle in Los Angeles struck several parked cars on a residential street near Dodger Stadium, including one with a person inside. Notably, that vehicle was being operated in manual mode by a human driver — a Waymo employee — not by the autonomous system. No injuries were reported.
Ask Fintool AI AgentBusiness Context: Growth vs. Scrutiny
The safety incidents come at a critical inflection point for Waymo's business. The company is scaling rapidly while still operating at significant losses within Alphabet's "Other Bets" segment.
Scale and Expansion
On Alphabet's-0.14% Q3 2025 earnings call, CEO Sundar Pichai highlighted Waymo's momentum:
"Waymo is now safely serving over 250,000 paid passenger trips each week. That's up 5x from a year ago."
The company has ambitious expansion plans for 2026, including:
- International: London and Tokyo launches
- New U.S. Markets: Dallas, Nashville, Denver, Seattle
- Airport Access: San Jose and San Francisco airports
- Partnerships: Uber+2.16% integration in Austin, Atlanta expansion
Financial Reality
While Waymo is scaling, it remains a cash-burning operation:
| Metric | Q3 2025 |
|---|---|
| Other Bets Revenue | $344 million |
| Other Bets Operating Loss | $(1.4) billion |
| Alphabet Total Revenue | $102.3 billion |
| Alphabet Market Cap | $4.0 trillion* |
*Values retrieved from S&P Global
CFO Anat Ashkenazi noted on the Q3 call: "Within Other Bets, we continue to allocate more resources to businesses like Waymo, where we see opportunities to create substantial value."
Investor Questions Emerge
On the Q1 2025 earnings call, Morgan Stanley analyst Brian Nowak asked about Waymo's integration with Gemini and potential Alphabet synergies. Pichai responded optimistically: "You'll see newer experiences in 2026, for sure."
But the accumulating safety incidents and federal investigations may test investor patience. Alphabet shares were roughly flat today at $336.47, though they've risen substantially from the 52-week low of $140.53.
Ask Fintool AI AgentWhat to Watch
Near-term Catalysts:
- NHTSA investigation findings and potential enforcement action
- Whether Waymo pauses or modifies operations near schools
- Q4 2025 earnings (expected late January/early February) for updated trip volumes
- City-by-city regulatory responses to the incident pattern
Longer-term Questions:
- Can Waymo maintain its expansion timeline amid federal scrutiny?
- Will insurance and liability costs increase?
- How will international regulators in London and Tokyo view the U.S. safety record?
The fundamental tension is clear: Waymo needs scale to achieve profitability, but scaling increases exposure to the edge cases where autonomous systems fail — and those failures now include striking a child near an elementary school.
Related
- Alphabet Inc.-0.14% — Parent company
- Uber Technologies+2.16% — Waymo ride-hailing partner
Waymo said it will cooperate fully with NHTSA's investigation.