US Regulators Probe Avride After 16 Autonomous Vehicle Crashes in Texas

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal investigation into Avride, an autonomous vehicle company, following 16 reported crashes involving its self-driving cars on public roads in Texas. The agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) stated that Avride's vehicles may have exhibited "excessive assertiveness" and "insufficient capability" while navigating Dallas streets. The probe covers Avride's entire fleet of autonomous vehicles operating in the state. NHTSA is evaluating whether the vehicles' driving behavior poses an unreasonable safety risk. Avride, which spun off from Yandex's self-driving unit, has been testing its technology in Texas since 2022. The company has not yet publicly commented on the investigation. This marks the latest in a series of federal safety reviews of autonomous vehicle operators, including Cruise and Waymo.