Apple's self-driving car meets first accident

An Apple self-driving vehicle was involved in a road accident during testing in California, suffering moderate damage in what is being described as the company's first reported crash involving its autonomous test fleet.

According to a report Apple submitted to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, the incident took place in Sunnyvale about a week before the filing. The vehicle was operating in autonomous mode when it was struck from behind by a Nissan, The Verge reported.

The Apple test vehicle, a Lexus SUV equipped with specialised sensors and other autonomous-driving equipment, was hit while on the road. Both vehicles sustained damage, but there were no reported injuries to anyone involved in the crash.

The circumstances of the accident indicate that the Apple vehicle may not have been responsible for the collision. The company's autonomous-driving system and software reportedly remained intact following the incident.

Apple has been testing a fleet of Lexus SUVs fitted with self-driving technology in California as part of its broader efforts to develop autonomous transportation systems. The company has around 45 such test vehicles operating in the state.

The technology has also been linked to Apple's plans for autonomous employee transportation. The company previously partnered with Volkswagen on a project aimed at developing self-driving shuttle vehicles for employees at its Cupertino campus.

The latest incident comes as autonomous-driving technology continues to face questions over safety and reliability. While supporters argue that computer-controlled vehicles could eventually reduce accidents caused by human error, several high-profile crashes involving autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles have raised concerns.

In March, an Uber self-driving vehicle struck and killed a woman in Arizona. Days later, a Tesla Model X operating with its Autopilot system crashed into a highway barrier in California, resulting in the death of its occupant.

An earlier fatal crash occurred in Florida in 2016, when a Tesla using Autopilot collided with a truck that the vehicle failed to detect.

Apple's latest test crash did not result in any injuries, but the incident highlights the challenges technology companies face as they work to make autonomous vehicles reliable enough for wider public use.