NHTSA Ends 14-Month Investigation of Waymo Robotaxi Crashes

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has closed a 14-month investigation into minor collisions and other unexpected driving behaviors involving autonomous vehicles operated by Alphabet’s Waymo unit. The agency launched the probe in May 2024 after receiving 22 incident reports—17 of them crashes—suggesting the company’s robotaxis may have violated traffic laws or behaved unpredictably. NHTSA said its decision was based on data provided by Waymo and on two software-related recalls the company carried out during the inquiry. The regulator will take no further action, removing a regulatory overhang for Waymo as it seeks to expand commercial autonomous ride-hailing services in U.S. cities.