The U.S. Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration stated on Friday it’s searching for extra info in its investigation into Amazon.com’s self-driving Zoox automobiles on account of surprising braking that led to 2 rear-end collisions.
The company, which opened its probe into the crashes this month, stated it’s searching for video of the crashes and paperwork from Zoox associated to the automobiles.
NHTSA stated it “is worried that automobiles exhibiting surprising fast braking could improve the danger of crash,” and added the “danger is especially acute to street customers behind the Zoox automobiles who’re unable to moderately anticipate or react to the surprising sudden braking.”
NHTSA stated earlier this month it had opened its “preliminary investigation of 500 Zoox automobiles with automated driving programs after two crashes involving the self-driving know-how unit’s automobiles outfitted with the Zoox Automated Driving System that resulted in minor accidents to motorcyclists.
Every incident concerned a Toyota Highlander outfitted with the automated driving system, which is being examined in the actual world utilizing these automobiles.
A Zoox spokesperson didn’t instantly touch upon Friday however stated earlier that “transparency and collaboration with regulators is of the utmost significance, and we stay dedicated to working intently with NHTSA to reply their questions.”
In March, Zoox stated it was increasing its automobile testing in California and Nevada to incorporate a wider space, greater speeds and nighttime driving, because it competes with Alphabet’s Waymo robotaxis. Amazon acquired Zoox in 2020 for USD 1.3 billion.
NHTSA stated each crashes occurred throughout daytime and throughout the Zoox system’s operational design limits.
The investigation will consider the automated driving system’s efficiency, notably regarding the collisions in addition to “the habits in crosswalks round weak street customers, and in different related rear-end collision situations.”
NHTSA in March 2023 opened a probe into Zoox’s self-certification in 2022 of a robotaxi with out conventional driving controls. Self-certification is a normal follow within the trade, however is topic to regulatory oversight.
NHTSA has opened a sequence of investigations into the efficiency of self-driving automobiles, together with into Basic Motors’ Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo.
The company can be investigating Tesla’s December recall of greater than 2 million automobiles to put in new Autopilot software program after NHTSA acquired experiences of 20 crashes involving automobiles with the software program replace. Autopilot is a complicated driver help system that doesn’t make automobiles totally self-driving however handles driving duties like steering and braking.
