Tesla’s Robotaxi Rival Waymo Faces Fresh NHTSA Probe Following Pedestrian Incident Near School

Waymo stated that one of its self-driving vehicles made contact with a child near a school, adding to mounting scrutiny of robotaxi operations across the country.

• Waymo stated that, following the incident, it voluntarily contacted the NHTSA, which then said it would launch a preliminary investigation.
• The company added that the Waymo driver braked hard, reducing speed from 17 mph to 6 mph, when it made contact with the pedestrian.
• After the incident, the pedestrian stood up and walked to the sidewalk, following which, Waymo called 911.

Tesla Inc.’s (TSLA) robotaxi rival, Waymo, on Thursday announced that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a new probe into the company.

The latest NHTSA probe into the Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) (GOOGL) owned company follows an incident involving a child near a school. Waymo stated that one of the company’s self-driving vehicles made contact with a young pedestrian last week.

Alphabet’s Class A shares were up 2% in Thursday’s pre-market trade. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits around the company was in the ‘bearish’ territory.

More Details About The Incident

Waymo stated that, following the incident, it voluntarily contacted the NHTSA, which then said it would launch a preliminary investigation.

“The event occurred when the pedestrian suddenly entered the roadway from behind a tall SUV, moving directly into our vehicle's path. Our technology immediately detected the individual as soon as they began to emerge from behind the stopped vehicle,” Waymo stated.

The company added that the Waymo driver braked hard, reducing speed from 17 mph to 6 mph, when it made contact with the pedestrian. After the incident, the pedestrian stood up and walked to the sidewalk, following which, Waymo called 911.

The company adds that the Waymo vehicle remained on the side of the road until law enforcement cleared it to leave the scene.

What Would A Human Driver Have Done?

Waymo stated that its peer-reviewed model shows that a human driver in the same situation as the company’s self-driving vehicle would have made contact with the pedestrian at nearly 14 mph.

This would be twice as fast as the Waymo vehicle, and could have resulted in the pedestrian sustaining relatively worse injuries.

“This event demonstrates the critical value of our safety systems,” the company said.

Waymo Vehicles Involved In Multiple Incidents

Waymo vehicles have recently been involved in a string of incidents. According to an NBC Los Angeles report, a Waymo car lost control and crashed into parked cars earlier this month in Echo Park, LA.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) opened a probe into Waymo last week after finding that the company’s self-driving vehicles illegally went past stopped school buses numerous times.

GOOGL stock is up 7% year-to-date and 72% over the past 12 months.

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.<