Amazon’s Zoox Probed by US After Two Autonomous SUV Crashes
- Bikers rear-ended Zoox SUVs that suddenly, unexpectedly braked
- US agency estimates 500 vehicles are subject to investigation
A Zoox Inc. self-driving car operated outside the company's offices in Foster City, California.
Photographer: Michael Short/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The top US auto-safety regulator has opened an investigation into Zoox, the autonomous-vehicle subsidiary of Amazon.com Inc., after two incidents in which its SUVs suddenly braked and were rear-ended.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defect Investigation opened a preliminary evaluation after receiving notice of two Toyota Highlander sport utility vehicles equipped with Zoox’s automated-driving system braked unexpectedly. In both cases, motorcyclists collided with the Zoox vehicles, resulting in minor injuries, NHTSA said.