Waymo has submitted responses to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as the agency investigates a January crash in Santa Monica, California, in which one of the company’s robotaxis struck a nine-year-old girl at low speed. NHTSA published an initial batch of documents on Friday, although the available responses were fully redacted as confidential business information.
The agency said it is reviewing additional material and will publish more responses in the investigation file once that review is complete. Waymo told TechCrunch that it has finished making its submissions.
NHTSA Asked About School-Zone Behavior and Software
NHTSA opened its investigation one week after the January 23 crash and sent Waymo 12 questions, some with additional sub-questions, on March 23. The requests covered how Waymo determines speed limits in school zones, whether it has received complaints about robotaxi behavior near schools, and details about its software.
Waymo’s original deadline was May 8, but the company requested more time in a May 1 letter. Senior director of safety Matthew Schwall said Waymo wanted to provide information relevant to the investigation while avoiding production and review work that would not materially help NHTSA.
The company also asked the agency to clarify parts of its request. NHTSA ultimately granted additional time for Waymo to respond to 10 of the 12 questions, and Waymo provided some answers in a second letter dated July 8.
Robotaxi Slowed From 17 MPH to 6 MPH Before Impact
The crash involved one of Waymo’s Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis traveling near a school in Santa Monica. According to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report, the vehicle was traveling at 17 mph when the child entered the street.
The robotaxi braked and slowed to 6 mph before hitting the girl near its front-right headlight assembly. She fell, then walked to the curb and reported minor injuries, but did not require medical transport.
The NTSB is conducting a separate investigation from NHTSA. Its final reports typically take about a year and include more detailed findings about the causes and circumstances of a crash.
The redacted filings show that NHTSA’s investigation is continuing after Waymo received extra time to complete its responses. The agency has not yet published conclusions from its review.
Featured image credits: Wikimedia Commons
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