SAN FRANCISCO — In a shocking turn of events, Cruise’s autonomous vehicles, which were previously given permission to operate its robotaxi service in San Francisco, have now been suspended following a serious crash that involved a pedestrian. The incident has prompted California regulators to reevaluate the readiness of self-driving cars for public roads, and experts are urging other states to do the same.
The commercial expansion of Cruise and Google’s Waymo in San Francisco was temporarily halted by the city attorney, David Chiu, who argued that these driverless cars pose serious public safety risks. This case highlights the fragmented oversight governing the self-driving car industry in California, which allowed Cruise to continue operating for weeks following the collision in October.
California Assembly member Phil Ting supports the Department of Motor Vehicles’ decision to suspend Cruise’s permits, stating that while state legislators are working on regulating the industry, the DMV already has a rigorous approval process for autonomous vehicles. However, Ting also acknowledges the difficulty of regulating this rapidly developing industry without stifling its potential.
In California alone, there are more than 40 companies with permits to test self-driving cars in San Francisco, collectively reporting millions of miles on public roads each year, along with hundreds of mostly minor accidents. The challenge lies in finding a balance between regulating this industry and embracing its future potential.
The initial misrepresentation of the October crash by Cruise has also raised concerns. After the collision, the company showed a video to the media that only captured part of the story, omitting crucial details. The longer video, which was obtained by the DMV, showed the autonomous vehicle dragging the injured pedestrian for about 20 feet, worsening her injuries.
The DMV’s decision to revoke Cruise’s permits was based on the company’s misrepresentation of safety information and its conclusion that Cruise vehicles are not safe for public operation. The National Highway Traffic Safety Agency has also opened an investigation into Cruise over reports of inadequate caution around pedestrians.
Ed Walters, an autonomous vehicle law professor, believes that while driverless technology has the potential to reduce road fatalities, incidents like this show that companies need to proceed with caution and conduct thorough testing with human supervision.
The lack of clear regulations and oversight at the federal level makes it difficult to accurately assess the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles. In San Francisco, city officials have no control over how these cars are deployed on their streets, raising concerns among local authorities who have experienced disruptions caused by these vehicles.
It is clear that the self-driving car industry has a long way to go in terms of safety and regulatory standards, but the incident involving Cruise has prompted a much-needed reevaluation of this technology’s readiness for public roads.
