Statement on Automated Vehicles and Street Safety in Santa Monica

On behalf of Santa Monica Families for Safe Streets, and as a Santa Monica parent of elementary school-aged kids, any incident involving a child and a vehicle is frightening. We are extremely relieved to know that the child was not seriously injured. 

We are highly concerned about the dangerous behavior of human-driven cars on our streets. People driving cars are distracted, impatient, on their phones, speeding, and driving through stop signs. Unfortunately, these are the conditions in which we have seen children injured in our City. That’s why we support safe street policies like lower speed limits and traffic calming measures.

One reason many parents in our neighborhood have welcomed Waymo is the measures they have taken to make autonomous vehicles drive more safely on streets. We appreciate that they always stop at stop signs and do not speed. They can see in all directions, and can easily see small children on the road, unlike large vehicles with limited visibility. They have instantaneous reaction time, which is important when children frequently do unpredictable things. 

In our view, the presence of more Waymo vehicles, combined with better street design and traffic calming, moves our community in the direction of safer streets for children. We would rather see continued improvement and accountability in autonomous systems than accept the status quo of dangerous human driving.

- Leonora Camner, Co-Founder of Santa Monica Families for Safe Streets

January 29, 2026