Beep Automated Bus Rear-Ended During U.S. Transportation Department Demonstration in Washington, D.C.
An automated bus operated by Beep was rear-ended by another vehicle during a U.S. Department of Transportation demonstration in Washington, D.C. The collision caused minor cosmetic damage, and the bus was cleared to resume service after safety review.
What happened
An automated bus produced by Beep was struck from behind by a Tesla with Maryland plates on H Street in Washington, D.C. on Sunday during a U.S. Department of Transportation demonstration ride. The Tesla driver was attempting an illegal lane change when the collision occurred.
The bus was operating on its fixed route with a human driver present as backup, as required by the city. The collision resulted in minor cosmetic damage to both vehicles. The Tesla driver remained at the scene for approximately 10 minutes, and no police were called.
Reported impact
Beep reported that the autonomous bus operated appropriately during the incident and that service was temporarily paused following the collision. After review, the bus was determined to be safe to resume service.
Governance controls
The automated bus was required to have a human driver on board as backup, as mandated by Washington, D.C. city regulations.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.