TapTechNews reported on May 13th that the US safety regulator is investigating two accidents involving Amazon's self-driving taxi company Zoox. The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) under the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated a preliminary evaluation of the company after receiving reports of two Zoox self-driving vehicles sudden braking leading to motorcycle rear-end collisions.
The NHTSA confirmed that the accidents occurred while Zoox vehicles were in autonomous mode without a safety driver present. The vehicles involved in the incidents are both Toyota Highlander SUVs, which Zoox uses for testing and data collection. According to the ODI, the investigation covers approximately 500 vehicles.
It is worth noting that the accidents do not involve Zoox's unique van-style vehicles, which do not have traditional pedals and steering wheels, and were approved to test on California roads in 2023, with these vehicles only hitting the road in March of this year.
TapTechNews noted that this is not the first time Zoox has clashed with the NHTSA. Last year, the company claimed that its self-driving vehicles complied with federal safety standards and did not require government exemptions, but this claim was investigated by the agency.