Zoox should provide further information on sudden braking behavior.
The US Transportation Authority NHTSA has… Zoox, Amazon’s autonomous vehicle division, requested more information. This is part of an investigation into risks posed by sudden braking of self-driving vehicles, which led to rear-end collisions. The NHTSA opened the preliminary investigation on May 10 after two reports of unexpected braking by Zoox vehicles, resulting in collisions with motorcyclists and minor injuries.
By July 12, Zoox must respond to 13 requests for information, including data on miles driven, emergency braking, accident summaries, videos and trajectories. According to NHTSA, the Zoox vehicles responded to other road users who were not directly in front of them.
The authority is concerned that unexpected braking increases the risk of accidents for following road users who are unable to react. The research will evaluate the behavior of the Zoox system in pedestrian crossings and similar scenarios.
The move could indicate increased oversight of autonomous vehicles after Cruise loses its operating license California lost. Also Waymo is being investigated for 31 reports of dangerous maneuvers.