Waymo Under Fire: Teamsters Demand License Suspension After Child Struck

SANTA MONICA, CA – February 02, 2026 – The powerful Teamsters union today called for the indefinite suspension of Waymo's license to operate its autonomous robotaxis in California, a dramatic escalation in the contentious debate over public safety and the future of automated vehicles. The demand follows the launch of a federal investigation into an incident last month where a driverless Waymo vehicle struck a small child in Santa Monica.

In a forceful statement, Teamsters California, which represents 250,000 workers, declared the incident a “horrifying wake up call for California policymakers” and accused Waymo and its parent company, Google, of ignoring repeated safety warnings. The union's call puts immense pressure on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the state body with the authority to halt Waymo's operations, to intervene.

“In the interest of protecting our communities and working-class prosperity, the Teamsters are calling on the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to indefinitely suspend Waymo's license to operate in the state,” said Peter Finn and Victor Mineros, Co-Chairs of Teamsters California. “The CPUC must do its job and intervene now, because the next incident could be much worse.”

Federal Probes and a Pattern of Incidents

The Teamsters' demand was directly triggered by a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation into the January 23 incident. A driverless Waymo robotaxi hit a child near Grant Elementary School during busy drop-off hours. The child sustained minor injuries. According to reports, the child emerged from behind a double-parked SUV, and Waymo has stated its vehicle detected the child and braked hard, reducing its speed from 17 mph to under 6 mph at impact. The company has asserted that its technology prevented a more severe outcome, but has not publicly released video of the event. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also launched its own probe.

For critics, however, this incident is not an isolated event but part of a troubling pattern. The union pointed to ongoing issues with the company's technology, particularly near schools.

“Waymo vehicles have continued to illegally ignore school bus stop signs despite a company-wide software recall and another, separate NHTSA investigation,” the Teamsters' statement noted. “Parents, teachers, school workers, and community members have been demanding that these vehicles be kept away from school zones. Waymo and its parent company, Google, choose to ignore those warnings.”

Waymo's safety record has come under increasing federal scrutiny over the past two years. In October 2025, NHTSA opened an investigation into Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses after school districts in Austin and Atlanta reported dozens of such violations. This prompted a software recall in December 2025 affecting over 3,000 vehicles. This followed an earlier NHTSA preliminary evaluation from May 2024, which examined 22 incidents where Waymo vehicles crashed into stationary objects like gates and parked cars or violated traffic laws.

As of December 2025, NHTSA's public database had recorded 1,512 accidents involving Waymo vehicles in autonomous mode, resulting in 117 injuries and 2 fatalities since mid-2021. While Waymo argues its comprehensive sensor suite leads to more thorough reporting than traditional police reports, the sheer volume of incidents has fueled public and regulatory concern.

A Broader Battle Over Automation and Jobs

Beyond immediate safety concerns, the Teamsters framed the incident as a pivotal moment in the larger struggle between labor and technology's push for automation. The union argues that companies like Waymo are prioritizing profit over public well-being and worker prosperity.

“This incident is emblematic of the broader goal Big Tech companies have to replace skilled human labor with AI,” Finn and Mineros stated. “They want to force millions of people into destitution by destroying their livelihoods, seize money that belongs to workers, and force our communities to reckon with the fallout of automation's shortcomings.”

This stance is consistent with the Teamsters' long-standing advocacy. The union has been a primary force behind legislative efforts in Sacramento, such as Assembly Bill 33, which would require a trained human safety operator in any autonomous commercial vehicle weighing over 10,000 pounds. They view such legislation as a crucial safeguard for both public safety and the hundreds of thousands of jobs in the transportation and delivery sectors.

The union has consistently opposed the rapid, unregulated expansion of robotaxis, organizing rallies and criticizing the CPUC's August 2023 decision that allowed Waymo and its then-competitor Cruise to operate paid, 24/7 driverless services in San Francisco.

Navigating a Regulatory and Public Trust Crossroads

The Teamsters' demand places the CPUC in a difficult position. The commission has historically supported the phased rollout of autonomous vehicles, granting Waymo significant operational authority. In April 2025, a court upheld a CPUC decision to grant Waymo a driverless deployment permit, citing the company's “good safety record” at the time. However, the CPUC has the power to suspend or revoke permits if it determines there is a “substantial threat to public health or safety.”

This regulatory decision will not be made in a vacuum. Public skepticism towards autonomous vehicles remains high. A 2025 AAA survey found that 60% of U.S. drivers are afraid to ride in a self-driving car. High-profile incidents, amplified on social media, have eroded public trust, and advocacy groups have called for a moratorium on expansion until robust federal safety standards are in place.

The incident in Santa Monica, involving a child near a school, crystallizes the public's deepest fears about the technology. For Waymo, the combination of a federal investigation and a powerful union's public condemnation represents a significant threat to its operational and reputational standing in its most important market. A license suspension in California would not only halt its services in San Francisco and Los Angeles but could also set a chilling precedent for the entire autonomous vehicle industry, potentially slowing the timeline for a driverless future across the country.