Autonomous Waymo Vehicle Involved in Pedestrian Incident in Santa Monica

No injuries reported as Waymo says its self-driving tech reduced impact speed.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 12:15pm

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Last week in Santa Monica, an autonomous Waymo vehicle was involved in a low-speed collision with a student near Grant Elementary School. According to police, the student stepped into the road outside of a crosswalk, and the Waymo vehicle immediately detected the pedestrian and braked hard, reducing the impact speed. Thankfully, no injuries were reported, and the student was evaluated by emergency responders at the scene.

Why it matters

This incident highlights the potential benefits of autonomous vehicle technology in reducing the severity of collisions, as Waymo claims its self-driving system reacted faster than a human driver would have. However, it also raises questions about pedestrian safety and the challenges of integrating self-driving cars into urban environments.

The details

The Santa Monica Police Department stated that the incident occurred on January 23, 2026, at around 8:31 a.m. near 24th Street and Pearl Street. Preliminary findings suggest the student stepped into the roadway outside of the designated crosswalk area and away from the crossing guard on duty, resulting in the low-speed collision with the Waymo vehicle. Waymo said its technology immediately detected the pedestrian and braked hard, reducing the vehicle's speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before the impact.

  • The incident occurred on January 23, 2026, at around 8:31 a.m.

The players

Waymo

An autonomous driving company that is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Santa Monica Police Department

The local law enforcement agency that responded to the incident and is investigating the details.

Grant Elementary School

The school located near the site of the incident.

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What they’re saying

“Following the event, we voluntarily contacted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that same day. NHTSA has indicated to us that they intend to open an investigation into this incident, and we will cooperate fully with them throughout the process.”

— Waymo (Waymo statement)

“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. The Waymo Driver braked hard, reducing speed from approximately 17 mph to under 6 mph before contact was made.”

— Waymo (Waymo statement)

“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.”

— Waymo (Waymo statement)

What’s next

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has indicated it will open an investigation into the incident, and Waymo has stated it will cooperate fully with the process.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the potential benefits of autonomous vehicle technology in reducing the severity of collisions, but also raises questions about pedestrian safety and the challenges of integrating self-driving cars into urban environments. The NHTSA investigation will likely provide more insights into the incident and the performance of Waymo's self-driving system.