Amazon's self-driving robotaxi unit is being investigated by the U.S. government's highway safety agency after two of its vehicles braked suddenly and were rear-ended by motorcyclists.
Both crashes involved Toyota Highlander SUVs with autonomous driving technology. They happened during daytime hours, and the agency confirmed that each of the Amazon vehicles was operating in autonomous mode leading up to the crashes. In one crash a motorcyclist suffered minor injuries, and a Zoox driver reported minor injuries in the other, according to reports. Both happened last month, one in San Francisco and the other in Spring Valley, Nevada.
In a statement, Zoox said it is committed to working with NHTSA to answer its questions."Transparency and collaboration with regulators is of utmost importance," the company said. Zoox said the vehicles had human safety drivers on board.Are self driving cars safe? Eli Kintisch 1:28 PM, Mar 14, 2023 Amazon acquired Zoox in June of 2020 for a price that analysts pegged at over $1 billion.
Zoox shuttles don't have a steering wheel or pedals. The carriage-style interior of the vehicle has two benches that face each other. It measures just under 12 feet long, about a foot shorter than a standard Mini Cooper. It is capable of going up to 75 mph, although it started running on public roads at up to 35 mph, the company said.
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