NHTSA Probes Alphabet's Waymo After 22 Incidents Involving Unexpected Behavior

May 14, 2024, 11:39 AM

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Alphabet's Waymo over the performance of its self-driving vehicles. The probe follows 22 reported incidents involving Waymo's autonomous cars, including 17 collisions and instances of the vehicles entering construction sites, blocking traffic, driving in the wrong lane, or exhibiting unexpected behavior that potentially violated traffic safety laws. The NHTSA's evaluation confirmed that Waymo's autonomous driving system was either engaged during each incident or disengaged moments before. The investigation covers an estimated 444 vehicles and aims to assess the safety and reliability of Waymo's self-driving technology.