Thank you TapTechNews reader Diixx for the tip! TapTechNews learned on May 14th that federal safety investigators in the United States have opened preliminary investigations into dozens of incidents involving Waymo's autonomous vehicles, including several 'unilateral' accidents and possible traffic violations. On May 14th, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported receiving 22 accident reports involving Alphabet's autonomous vehicle company, Waymo, including 17 collision accidents. The NHTSA stated that it has initiated an investigation into the performance of Waymo's autonomous vehicles. These incidents include 'collisions with stationary and semi-stationary objects (such as doors and chains), collisions with parked vehicles, and cases where the ADS appears to violate traffic safety control devices.' The NHTSA is also investigating reports of Waymo vehicles traveling in reverse or illegally entering construction sites. Waymo has acknowledged that although its vehicles occasionally experience minor traffic collisions, its technology performs better in preventing more serious accidents than human drivers. TapTechNews noted that this investigation comes as Waymo has obtained approval from California regulators to expand its autonomous taxi operations to the lucrative market of Los Angeles. The company has also recently begun testing autonomous vehicles on highways in preparation for passenger travel. The investigation comes as federal safety regulators in the United States are stepping up scrutiny of driver assistance and autonomous vehicle technologies, with the NHTSA launching preliminary investigations into most major players in the autonomous driving field, including Tesla, General Motors' Cruise, Ford, Zoox, and others.