Published: Monday, May 13, 2020
The U.S. highway safety agency is investigating Amazon’s self driving robotaxi unit after two of its cars braked suddenly and were rear ended by motorcyclists.
The U.S. highway safety agency is investigating Amazon’s self driving robotaxi after two of the vehicles suddenly braked and were rear-ended.
In documents published on Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it would evaluate the automated driving systems developed by Zoox.
Both accidents involved Toyota Highlander SUVs equipped with autonomous driving technology. The crashes occurred during the daytime, and Amazon confirmed that the vehicles were in autonomous mode before the accidents. According to reports, a motorcyclist sustained minor injuries in one accident, while a Zoox driver suffered minor injuries during the other. The two crashes occurred last month in San Francisco and Spring Valley, Nevada.
The investigation will be focused on how the automated driving system behaved in crosswalks near pedestrians and other road users.
In a press release, Zoox stated that it was committed to answering NHTSA’s questions. The company stated that transparency and collaboration with regulators are of the utmost important. Zoox claimed that the vehicles were equipped with human safety drivers.
Zoox reported these crashes in accordance with an order issued to companies that manufacture automated vehicles by 2021.
Amazon acquired Zoox for over $1 billion in June 2020, according to analysts. In 2023, the Foster City, California-based company announced that one of its four-person autonomous shuttles would transport employees along a mile (1.6 kilometers) long route on public roads between two Zoox building.
The company launched a shuttle exclusively for its staff. Analysts expect Amazon to use Zoox for autonomous delivery.
The Zoox shuttles do not have pedals or a steering. The interior is a carriage with two benches facing each other. It is just over 12 feet long (3.7 meters), about a foot shorter (a third meter) than a Mini Cooper. The company claims that it can reach speeds of up to 75 mph.
NHTSA was already investigating Zoox. In March 2022, the agency began investigating the company’s claim that its vehicle meets federal safety standards.
The agency stated at the time it would investigate whether Zoox used their own test procedures to determine certain federal standards were not applicable due to the robotaxi’s distinctive configuration.
Source: ABC News