The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is examining two accidents involving Zoox, Amazon’s robotaxi venture.
The Office of Defects Investigation, a division of NHTSA, initiated a preliminary assessment of Zoox following reports of two separate incidents where the vehicles abruptly braked, resulting in collisions with motorcyclists.
NHTSA confirms that the Zoox vehicles were operating autonomously, without human safety drivers, at the time of the accidents.
Both crashes involved Toyota Highlander SUVs, which Zoox utilizes for testing and data collection. The investigation encompasses approximately 500 vehicles, as stated by the Office of Defects Investigation.
It’s noteworthy that the accidents did not involve Zoox’s distinctive toaster-like vehicles, which lack conventional pedals and steering wheels.
These vehicles received approval for testing on California roads in 2023 and began appearing on public roads in March.
This isn’t the first time Zoox has faced scrutiny from NHTSA. Last year, the agency probed allegations from the company asserting that its driverless vehicle complied with federal safety standards without requiring an exemption from the government.
