A Robotaxi's Deadly Mishap: A Child's Narrow Escape Near a School
In a shocking incident that has raised concerns about autonomous vehicle safety, a Waymo robotaxi struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, California on January 23. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into the matter, which is expected to probe whether the Waymo Driver used adequate caution given its proximity to the school and other children.
According to Waymo, the robotaxi detected the child immediately as they emerged from behind a double-parked SUV. The vehicle then braked hard, slowing down from 17 mph to under 6 mph at the time of impact. Miraculously, the child sustained only minor injuries and was able to stand up and move to the sidewalk promptly.
Despite the close call, Waymo has faced criticism over its handling of similar incidents in the past. Just last month, the company carried out a voluntary software recall after the NHTSA opened an investigation into Waymo vehicles allegedly driving past stationary school buses in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta. Furthermore, another Waymo incident in California is currently under review by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation will examine whether Waymo's automated driving systems used proper caution around schools, particularly during regular pick-up and drop-off times. The probe also aims to assess Waymo's response to the incident. As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the incident will impact public perception of autonomous vehicle safety and whether Waymo will take further steps to enhance its vehicles' capabilities.
Waymo has not commented on what specific actions they plan to take as a result of this incident. However, with investigations underway by both the NHTSA and National Transportation Safety Board, it is clear that the company will face intense scrutiny over its response to this incident.
In a shocking incident that has raised concerns about autonomous vehicle safety, a Waymo robotaxi struck a child near a school in Santa Monica, California on January 23. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into the matter, which is expected to probe whether the Waymo Driver used adequate caution given its proximity to the school and other children.
According to Waymo, the robotaxi detected the child immediately as they emerged from behind a double-parked SUV. The vehicle then braked hard, slowing down from 17 mph to under 6 mph at the time of impact. Miraculously, the child sustained only minor injuries and was able to stand up and move to the sidewalk promptly.
Despite the close call, Waymo has faced criticism over its handling of similar incidents in the past. Just last month, the company carried out a voluntary software recall after the NHTSA opened an investigation into Waymo vehicles allegedly driving past stationary school buses in Austin, Texas, and Atlanta. Furthermore, another Waymo incident in California is currently under review by the National Transportation Safety Board.
The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation will examine whether Waymo's automated driving systems used proper caution around schools, particularly during regular pick-up and drop-off times. The probe also aims to assess Waymo's response to the incident. As the investigation unfolds, it remains to be seen how the incident will impact public perception of autonomous vehicle safety and whether Waymo will take further steps to enhance its vehicles' capabilities.
Waymo has not commented on what specific actions they plan to take as a result of this incident. However, with investigations underway by both the NHTSA and National Transportation Safety Board, it is clear that the company will face intense scrutiny over its response to this incident.
. I mean, think about it - autonomous vehicles are supposed to be the future of transportation, but they're still basically learning machines. We need to acknowledge that no AI system is perfect, and there's always a chance for human error... or rather, machine error 
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I'm getting a bad vibe from this robotaxi thing... Like, what's next? Robot nurses? 
And don't even get me started on how they're just going to roll with it and say "oh, we'll update our software" like that's all that's gonna fix the issue 
. Schools are supposed to be safe zones, not testing grounds for fancy tech 
. What if this was a real-life sci-fi movie plot? I'd freak out 
. We need to get some human oversight in place here 
before these autonomous vehicles start putting people's lives at risk 
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Waymo needs to step up their game when it comes to safety protocols around schools. I mean, 17 mph to under 6 mph? That's like braking on a dime 
It's lucky the kid was okay or else who knows what could've happened. The fact that they detected the child and braked hard is good but still not enough considering its proximity to the school 
. I mean, 17 mph to under 6 mph is crazy talk! You'd think a robotaxi would have more control over its speed, but I guess you can't rule out human error either 
Waymo's got a lot of explaining to do after that last recall in Austin and Atlanta 
And now, with this latest incident in Santa Monica, it's clear they need to step up their game 
, especially when it comes to safety around schools and other vulnerable areas. I hope Waymo takes this incident seriously and makes some changes to their system ASAP 
️. We need to make sure these robots are safe for everyone, not just the company's bottom line 
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I'm not sure if I'd want to ride in one of those things anymore though... I mean, what if it mistakes me for a double-parked SUV or something? 
But on the other hand, autonomous vehicles are still super new and we should be giving them a chance to get it right. They can't just blame everything on human error all the time... 
[GIF of a kid walking away from a car explosion]
" Meanwhile, the NHTSA is all like "nope, we need answers... and better safety features!" 
[GIF of a detective looking at clues]
. I know they've got all these fancy sensors and cameras, but sometimes it's just a human mistake that causes the problem. And now there are kids who have to deal with the trauma of almost getting hit by a robot... it's just not right 
. We need to know what went wrong and how Waymo plans to prevent these incidents in the future 
17 mph might seem like a lot, but I've seen kids run around playgrounds faster than that. The fact that the child only got minor injuries is just luck, and we can't keep relying on luck 
. It's got me thinking, how do these robotaxis even know when there are kids around? Shouldn't they be programmed to slow down or stop right away if they see a kid?