Cruise has had its permits for testing autonomous vehicles in California suspended immediately, due to one of its vehicles hitting a pedestrian.
The Order of Suspension published by the California Department of Motor Vehicles reveals the suspension comes after a Cruise vehicle hit a pedestrian on October 2, 2023, at approximately 9:30 p.m. on or around 5th and Market Streets in San Francisco. The self-driving vehicle hit and ran over the pedestrian despite braking hard. The vehicle then attempted “to perform a pullover maneuver while the pedestrian was under the vehicle.”
It is understood that the vehicle reached 7 mph and traveled 20 feet, all while the pedestrian remained trapped under the car, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Officials from the DMV met with Cruise after the incident. They were shown footage captured by the onboard cameras but this footage ended after the initial hard-braking maneuver. The department then learned of the car’s subsequent “pullover maneuver” after discussions with another government agency. Cruise only shared the full footage with the DMV on October 13.
In explaining the basis for the suspension, the DMV says that Cruise’s vehicles “are not safe for the public’s operation” and that they “may lack the ability to respond safely and appropriately during incidents involving a pedestrian so as not to unnecessarily put the pedestrian or others at risk of further injury.” The document adds that Cruise’s initial omission of the full video hinders the department’s ability to effectively and timely evaluate the safety of its vehicles.
Read: Ride In Malfunctioning Cruise Robotaxi Turns From Futuristic To Frightening
“Ultimately, we develop and deploy autonomous vehicles in an effort to save lives,” Cruise noted in a statement. “In the incident being reviewed by the DMV, a human hit-and-run driver tragically struck and propelled the pedestrian into the path of the AV. The AV braked aggressively before impact and because it detected a collision, it attempted to pull over to avoid further safety issues. When the AV tried to pull over, it continued before coming to a final stop, pulling the pedestrian forward.”
Cruise had received approval to operate its robotaxi service at all hours of the day in San Francisco in August. However, it was forced to reduce its operating fleet by 50% just one week later after two crashes.
