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Major robotaxi firms face federal safety investigations after crashes

A year ago, the companies seemed poised for a breakout moment. Now, the industry is struggling against setbacks and scrutiny.

By
and 
May 24, 2024 at 9:05 a.m. EDT
Self-driving cars in California. (Bloomberg News; AP; The Washington Post)
8 min

SAN FRANCISCO — All three major self-driving vehicle companies are facing federal investigations over potential flaws linked to dozens of crashes, a sign of heightened scrutiny as the fledging industry lays plans to expand nationwide.

The National Highway Transportation Administration (NHTSA) announced this month that it would examine two rear-end collisions involving motorbikes and vehicles operated by Amazon’s Zoox, which is already testing cars without steering wheels or brakes for passengers to operate.