Waymo submits redacted documents to NHTSA in school-zone crash probe

Waymo has answered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s request for information regarding a January 23 incident in which one of its Jaguar I-Pace robotaxis struck a 9-year-old girl near a school in Santa Monica. The company uploaded an initial set of documents to the NHTSA portal, all of which are redacted to shield proprietary data. The submissions follow a deadline extension requested by Waymo and show that the agency is reviewing the material before adding it to the investigation file.

NHTSA’s questionnaire asked about how Waymo determines speed limits in school zones, whether it has received complaints about its vehicles near schools, and for detailed software documentation. The crash, occurring at an initial speed of 17 mph and slowing to six mph before impact, resulted in minor injuries that did not require medical transport. Waymo’s senior director of safety, Matthew Schwall, noted the goal of providing relevant information while avoiding undue production burdens, and the company has now completed its submissions.