Uber Partner Avride Under Investigation for Self-Driving Crashes
Original: Uber partner Avride is under investigation for self-driving crashes
Why This Matters
First major safety investigation of Uber's autonomous vehicle partnerships raises regulatory scrutiny
NHTSA opened investigation into Avride robotaxi company after 16 crashes and one minor injury. Safety issues include lane changing, responding to vehicles and stationary objects. Crashes occurred in Dallas and Austin with safety monitors present.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation is investigating Avride, Uber's robotaxi partner, following 16 crashes between December 2025 and March 2026. All crashes involved the competence of Avride's self-driving system, particularly struggling with lane changes, responding to other vehicles, and stationary objects. Despite safety monitors in driver seats, interventions did not occur. Avride, a Nebius subsidiary formerly part of Yandex, reported incidents as required and stated they implemented technical mitigations while incident frequency relative to mileage declined. The investigation coincides with Uber's Dallas robotaxi service launch, where many crashes occurred along with some in Austin.