A group of teenagers and a younger child were observed hanging out of the open windows of a moving Waymo self-driving car in Santa Monica, California, on June 19. The incident occurred around 6 p.m. near the intersection of 26th Street and Olympic Boulevard.
Witness Rojia Shahsavani captured images of at least three juvenile males inside the vehicle, with one appearing to be recording himself. A younger child, estimated to be around elementary school age, was seen in the front passenger seat.
Shahsavani expressed concern over the potential for a catastrophic accident, noting that other drivers were honking at the teenagers to get back inside the vehicle, without success. "You know, one little mistake, one sudden stop, one sharp turn, one instability from their end could have…turned into something catastrophic," she told ABC7.
Waymo's policy states that riders must be 18 or older to use the service alone, unless they are in the Phoenix metro area. The age requirement was apparently not enforced in this instance.
Shahsavani contacted Waymo to report the incident. The company informed her they would address the situation, but the vehicle did not stop at the time.
This event adds to a series of recent issues involving Waymo's autonomous vehicles. On June 12, the company recalled 3,871 vehicles due to difficulties navigating construction zones in Phoenix and San Francisco. Residents in Westchester have also previously voiced complaints about Waymo vehicles obstructing streets and driveways.
