Amazon self-driving unit Zoox faces safety probe
Sundry Photography/iStock Editorial via Getty Images

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced an investigation of the self-certification by Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) self-driving unit Zoox (ZOOX) on Monday.
The safety regulator said that it is opening an audit query as it evaluates responses provided by the startup over the past year to questions regarding its vehicles. Namely, the agency has issued inquiries into the self-certification and whether or not company statements suggesting its vehicles âmet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standardsâ is valid . 
âAs NHTSA continues to evaluate these responses, the agency has determined that further examination is necessary into the process and technical data on which Zoox relied when certifying the Zoox vehicle and related issues,â the investigation notice states. âIn particular, NHTSA will consider the extent to which Zoox's certification basis depended upon unilaterally developed test procedures or determinations that certain standards were inapplicable due to the unique configuration of the vehicle.â
The investigation comes about a month after the autonomous driving subsidiary of Amazon conducted tests on public roads. The company said that a test was conducted utilizing an employee shuttle service in Foster City, California on February 11 after receiving a permit to do so in California.
Read more on the tests conducted in California.