On Tuesday, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it has launched an investigation into the performance of Alphabet’s Waymo self-driving vehicles. The investigation stems from reports indicating that Waymo’s robotaxis may have exhibited driving behavior that could have violated traffic safety laws.
The NHTSA’s initiation of the investigation reflects a growing concern over the safety and regulatory compliance of autonomous vehicles. The agency has further reported 22 reports, including 22 incidents and 17 collisions, in its preliminary evaluation of 444 Waymo vehicles. This probe is part of broader efforts by regulatory bodies to ensure the safe deployment and operation of self-driving vehicles in the United States.
Waymo responded to the investigation by expressing pride in its safety record over millions of autonomous miles driven and committed to working with the NHTSA. This investigation marks the latest in a series of probes by the NHTSA into self-driving vehicle performance, with previous investigations involving General Motors Cruise and Amazon.com’s Zoox.
Additionally, the Waymo 5th Generation automated driving system’s performance “in the incidents identified in this resume and similar scenarios, as well as to more closely assess any commonalities in these incidents,” will be the subject of an investigation by the auto safety agency.
The investigation will assess Waymo vehicles’ performance “in detecting and responding to traffic control devices and avoiding collisions with stationary and semi-stationary objects and vehicles.” This is the first step before the agency can demand a recall if it determines that the vehicles pose an unreasonable safety risk.
