Feds probe Zoox after collision in San Francisco

Federal regulators opened an investigation Monday into Amazon subsidiary Zoox and its fleet of self-driving robotaxis following two collisions, one of which occurred in San Francisco last month.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will evaluate Zoox’s fleet of roughly 500 Toyota Highlanders equipped with the company’s automated driving system to determine how the technology performs “in crosswalks around vulnerable road users,” and in “other similar rear-end collision scenarios,” according to the agency’s filing.

Federal regulators are investigating a pair of daytime accidents in which the Zoox vehicles stopped abruptly, causing collisions with trailing motorcyclists.

Representatives with Zoox did not respond to The Examiner’s request for comment prior to publication.

The first crash , which involved a Zoox vehicle and a Honda PCX, occurred April 28 just before 1 p.m. at the intersection of 11th and Bryant streets, according to a report from the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The second crash under investigation occurred last month in Nevada.

The NHTSA confirmed that both Zoox vehicles were operating in autonomous mode leading up to the crashes. The agency also found both crashes occurred during the day and were within conditions in which Zoox’s technology can operate.

Federal regulators looking into the San Francisco crash determined that the Zoox vehicle was turning right when a motorcyclist “came up on the rear of the Zoox vehicle, traversing laterally in lane from the left to the right side of the Zoox vehicle.” The Toyota Highlander braked and the vehicle operator disengaged its system. The motorcyclist proceeded to hit the rear bumper and quarter panel on the passenger side of the Zoox vehicle.

Federal regulators said that the Zoox vehicle did not sustain damage, while the motorcycle sustained minor damage. Police were not called to the scene, and the driver declined medical assistance, according to an NHTSA filing.

A separate NHTSA probe opened last year into Zoox’s certification that one of its vehicles met federal safety standards is ongoing.

Zoox is one of two autonomous-vehicle operators in The City , alongside Google-backed Waymo. Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary, has suspended its operations in San Francisco since last fall following an accident in which one of its vehicles struck a woman and dragged her 20 feet .

Zoox obtained its first permit from the California Public Utilities Commission in December 2018, allowing the company to transport passengers on free trips while drivers were present and ready to take over operations on an as-needed basis. Amazon acquired the company for roughly $1.3 billion in June 2020, and Zoox received driverless testing approval from the DMV in September 2021.

Zoox leadership said in March that the company planned to expand its driving operations in Las Vegas and nearby Foster City, where the company is headquartered. Expansion efforts included servicing wider geographical areas and having vehicles travel at speeds greater than 45 miles per hour. The cars would also be able to drive at night, as well as under light rain and damp road conditions.