US regulator broadens investigation into Waymo's autonomous vehicles
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expanded its investigation into Alphabet Inc.'s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, Waymo. This decision follows the identification of additional incidents where Waymo's cars were involved in collisions or potentially violated traffic laws. Since the preliminary evaluation opened on May 13, nine more incidents with similar patterns have been discovered by the NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Several Waymo vehicles involved in multiple collisions
Reports indicate that about 17 Waymo vehicles have been involved in collisions with objects such as chains, gates, and parked cars. In addition to these incidents, the NHTSA has cited five instances where Waymo's automated driving system seemed to violate traffic rules. These violations included driving in opposite lanes with nearby oncoming traffic, further contributing to the concerns surrounding autonomous vehicles.
NHTSA expresses concern over Waymo's driving behaviors
The Office of Defects Investigation at the NHTSA has expressed its concern over these incidents. In a letter to Waymo, the defects office stated that it is "concerned that ADS-equipped vehicles exhibiting such unexpected driving behaviors may increase the risk of crash, property damage, and injury." Some of these new incidents were reported by Waymo itself under a 2021 standing order that requires car manufacturers to inform regulators of accidents involving automated driving systems.
Increased scrutiny on autonomous vehicles by regulators
The expanded investigation into Waymo is part of a larger trend of increased scrutiny by highway safety regulators toward both driver-assistance systems and more advanced autonomous vehicles. Other companies under similar probes include Tesla Inc.'s Autopilot, Ford Motor Co.'s BlueCruise, and Amazon.com Inc.'s Zoox. In October, the NHTSA also opened an investigation into potential defects in General Motors Co.'s self-driving unit, Cruise's automated-driving system.
