Zoox Robotaxis Face Scrutiny Following Las Vegas Traffic Incidents
The Amazon-owned autonomous taxi service has come under scrutiny after separate incidents on the Las Vegas Strip and in the city’s Arts District.
Zoox is facing questions over the performance of its autonomous taxi service in Las Vegas after videos emerged showing vehicles encountering problems in busy and temporarily restricted areas of the city.
The incidents come as the Amazon-owned company expands its Las Vegas operations, including the introduction of new pickup zones at Harry Reid International Airport. Zoox operates purpose-built autonomous vehicles without steering wheels or conventional driver controls.
Zoox Vehicle Stops At Las Vegas Strip Crosswalk
One incident captured on video involved a Zoox robotaxi becoming stationary at a pedestrian crossing between the Cosmopolitan and the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.
The video, posted on Reddit, showed four passengers inside the vehicle while pedestrians continued to move around it. According to the person who uploaded the footage, the robotaxi remained stationary for several minutes.
Zoox vehicles include emergency call buttons and manual door releases for passengers. However, the incident occurred in an active roadway, potentially complicating the decision for passengers to leave the vehicle while it remained stopped.
A separate incident was captured in the Arts District in downtown Las Vegas. Footage published by local television station KSNV-TV showed a Zoox vehicle initially stopping before travelling past construction barricades and entering a closed road.
The vehicle eventually navigated its way out of the restricted area without a collision, according to the station. However, the incident raised further questions over how autonomous driving systems respond to temporary road closures and construction signage.
Zoox Continues Expansion In Las Vegas
Zoox's autonomous vehicles operate in Las Vegas under a federal exemption granted in 2024, allowing the company to deploy its custom-built robotaxis without traditional controls such as steering wheels.
The exemption includes requirements for the company to continually report operational anomalies, although those reports are not publicly available.
Zoox has previously acknowledged in regulatory filings that unexpected stops, construction zones and complex pedestrian crossings can present unusual scenarios for autonomous vehicles. The company has said such situations form part of the operational cases it seeks to address through continued software development and updates.
The latest incidents have attracted attention as Zoox increases the visibility and availability of its autonomous taxi network across Las Vegas, including around some of the city's busiest tourism and casino areas.
