Waymo submitted documents to the NHTSA regarding the case of a robotaxi collision with a child
Waymo has submitted documents to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which is investigating a January collision between a self-driving taxi and a 9-year-old girl in Santa Monica, California. The first batch of documents has been published on the regulator’s website, according to TechCrunch.
Waymo’s responses are completely closed to public view due to a designation as confidential business information. The NHTSA stated that it is reviewing the company’s other responses and will publish them in the investigation materials once that review is complete.
The regulator requested information from Waymo on how the company determines speed limits in school zones, whether it has received complaints about the behavior of its robotaxis near schools, and documentation regarding its software.
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The collision occurred on January 23 near a school. A Waymo Jaguar I-Pace robotaxi was traveling at 17 miles per hour when a girl stepped into the road. The vehicle braked and slowed to six miles per hour before the collision. According to a preliminary report by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the self-driving car struck the child near its right headlight.
The girl fell but then walked to the side of the road on her own and reported only minor injuries. She did not require medical transport. The NTSB investigation is being conducted separately from the NHTSA review; the board typically publishes a final, more detailed report in about 12 months.
The NHTSA announced the launch of its investigation one week after the collision and, on March 23, sent Waymo 12 questions, some of which included additional sub-questions. The initial deadline for responses was May 8, but in a letter dated May 1, the company requested an extension and asked for clarification on some of the questions. Waymo provided answers to some of the questions in a letter dated July 8. The NHTSA granted the company additional time to respond to 10 of the 12 questions. Waymo told TechCrunch that it has completed its submission of materials.
