Federal investigators opened a defect evaluation into a driverless system after crashes in Dallas and Austin
The Office of Defects Investigation at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary evaluation into the Avride automated driving system. The resume gives the date it was opened as the sixth of May, 2026. It was prompted by crash reports filed under the agency's standing general order. The resume says the crashes happened in Dallas and in Austin. The failure report summary gives a crash total and a single alleged minor injury. Investigators reviewed video of every crash. The video shows vehicles changing lanes into other vehicles and failing to slow for what was ahead of them. A person sat in the driver's seat during every one of those crashes while the system drove. The office also records its understanding that the same vehicles carry paying passengers on a ride-hailing platform in Dallas. The document makes no finding of defect. Its strongest statement is that the system's performance may indicate inappropriate assertiveness and insufficient competence. The agency's own investigation status pages would not answer a request this run, so the record can't say what state the evaluation is in today. What it can say is that it was opened and that the document reaches no conclusion.
How to take part
The resume is published in the agency's investigation document store and can be read in full. There is no comment window and no hearing attached to a preliminary evaluation. The agency's own investigation search pages would not answer a request this run, so a reader wanting today's status has to go to the agency directly.
Where
2 counties. In Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.
Timeline
- filed
the date opened given on the ODI resume for the preliminary evaluation
- Today
How this decision moved
One dated line per check, oldest first. A line that says nothing changed means somebody looked and it had not.
- 2026-09-08
Admitted to the record. The resume was read in full this run and every claim below is quoted from it.
- 2026-09-08
The agency's own investigation status pages would not answer, so what state the preliminary evaluation is in today is not on the record. The resume gives December 3rd, 2025 as the office's understanding of when public passenger service began in Dallas. That is a fact about the service rather than a step in this evaluation.
The evidence
Every fact above rests on one of these. The words are the source's own.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received several reports of crashes involving automated vehicles (AVs) equipped with the Avride automated driving system (ADS) engaged at the time of the crash.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
The crashes occurred in Dallas, Texas and Austin, Texas.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Investigation: PE26003 Prompted By: SGO 2021-01 crash reports Date Opened: 05/06/2026ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Action: Open this Preliminary EvaluationODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
MANUFACTURER & PRODUCT INFORMATION Manufacturer: Avride Inc.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Products: Avride Automated Driving System (ADS) Population: 200 (Estimated)ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Subject: Automated Driving System (ADS) conflict avoidance, driving behavior competence and assertivenessODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Automated Vehicles (AVs) executing lane changes into other vehicles and failing to avoid vehicles or objects in the roadway, resulting in crashesODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Crashes/Fires: 0 0 0 16 16 0ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
These crashes have resulted in property damage and one alleged minor injury.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
During each of these crashes, the AVs were operating with the ADS performing the dynamic driving task while under the supervision of an in-vehicle operator in the driver's seat.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Furthermore, ODI understands that Avride is operating some of its AVs on the Uber ride-hailing platform and has offered passenger service to the public since December 3, 2025 in Dallas where many of the reported crashes have occurred.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
The videos show instances of the AVs changing lanes into the path of or directly into other vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane and in close proximity to an AV; failing to slow or stop for slow-moving or stopped vehicles in the lane and path ahead; failing to slow for or avoid vehicles entering the lane and path ahead; and striking stationary objects partially obstructing the lane and path ahead.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
The ADS performance in these crashes may indicate inappropriate assertiveness and insufficient competence to execute these driving behaviors in a safe manner and may also constitute traffic safety violations.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
ODI has opened this Preliminary Evaluation to investigate the performance of the Avride ADS in order to determine the scope, nature and severity of the potential problems and to assess the potential safety risks to passengers and other road users.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
If additional evidence received during this investigation implicates the competence of the Avride ADS with respect to other driving behaviors, these may be considered as part of this investigation as well.ODI RESUME, Office of Defects Investigation, Investigation PE26003, Avride Inc. Primary source, official · static.nhtsa.gov
Questions about this decision
Answered from the record itself. Every answer is assembled from stored fields, so an answer the record has no basis for is left out rather than guessed.
What is this decision?
The Office of Defects Investigation at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary evaluation into the Avride automated driving system. The resume gives the date it was opened as the sixth of May, 2026. It was prompted by crash reports filed under the agency's standing general order. The resume says the crashes happened in Dallas and in Austin. The failure report summary gives a crash total and a single alleged minor injury. Investigators reviewed video of every crash. The video shows vehicles changing lanes into other vehicles and failing to slow for what was ahead of them. A person sat in the driver's seat during every one of those crashes while the system drove. The office also records its understanding that the same vehicles carry paying passengers on a ride-hailing platform in Dallas. The document makes no finding of defect. Its strongest statement is that the system's performance may indicate inappropriate assertiveness and insufficient competence. The agency's own investigation status pages would not answer a request this run, so the record can't say what state the evaluation is in today. What it can say is that it was opened and that the document reaches no conclusion.
Who decides it?
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Office of Defects Investigation decides. The record names the deciding body for every entry it carries.
Can the public take part?
The resume is published in the agency's investigation document store and can be read in full. There is no comment window and no hearing attached to a preliminary evaluation. The agency's own investigation search pages would not answer a request this run, so a reader wanting today's status has to go to the agency directly. No dated public window is on the record. The deciding body is named and reachable.
Where in Texas does it apply?
It covers Dallas and Travis Counties.
Has it been decided?
Its status on the record is unknown.
What happens next?
No future date is on the record. The last dated step on it was filed on May 6th.
When did it start?
The earliest date on its record is May 6th, 2026.
What kind of decision is it?
It is filed under defense and federal.
What sources back it?
One source backs it. It is primary.
Is it on the ERCOT grid?
Yes. It sits inside the ERCOT interconnection.
When was it last checked?
Every fact on it was last verified against its source on September 8th, 2026.
Cite this
Texas AI Docket, Federal investigators opened a defect evaluation into a driverless system after crashes in Dallas and Austin. Tracked since May 6th, 2026. Last verified September 8th, 2026. https://texasaidocket.com/item/tx-2026-0136/. Reuse permitted under CC BY 4.0 with attribution. The same entry is in the docket JSON as item tx-2026-0136.
Beat
Filed under Defense and federal, with every other decision on that beat.