NHTSA probes Uber partner Avride self-driving crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Avride, an Uber-partnered robotaxi company, following over a dozen reported crashes. The investigation focuses on the self-driving system's competence, citing issues with lane changes, object detection, and response to other vehicles. All identified crashes occurred while safety monitors were present, raising questions about intervention protocols. Avride, a subsidiary of Nebius, stated it has implemented mitigations and seen a decline in incident frequency relative to mileage. This probe intensifies scrutiny on autonomous vehicle technology amid widespread deployment and testing.