California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced on Friday that it is launching an investigation into a series of “concerning incidents” involving self-driving vehicles operated by General Motors’ subsidiary, Cruise, in San Francisco. The DMV’s move comes shortly after a Cruise robotaxi was involved in a collision with an emergency vehicle in San Francisco on Thursday evening. This incident marks the latest in a series of accidents involving autonomous cars.
The regulator’s statement not only expressed concerns but also called for immediate action. The California DMV requested that Cruise promptly remove 50% of its robotaxis from the roads as part of the investigation. Cruise has promptly agreed to this demand, and the regulator indicated that they reserve the right to suspend or revoke testing and deployment permits if public safety is deemed to be at risk.
According to Cruise, the incident occurred when their self-driving vehicle proceeded through an intersection with a green light and was struck by an emergency vehicle responding to a crisis. The autonomous car recognized the potential collision and initiated a braking maneuver but was unable to prevent the collision.
Preliminary investigations by the San Francisco Police Department have revealed that the crash transpired when a fire truck was on an emergency run with its red lights and siren activated. The sole passenger in the autonomous vehicle sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
In a separate development last week, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) granted permission for robotaxis from Cruise and Alphabet’s Waymo to operate around the clock in San Francisco, while also permitting them to charge passengers for rides. This decision, however, faced opposition from residents and city agencies.
City Attorney David Chiu raised concerns over the readiness of this technology and its impact on first responders, urging the CPUC to reconsider its decision. Chiu stated, “We have seen that this technology is not yet ready, and poor AV performance has interfered with the life-saving operations of first responders. San Francisco will suffer serious harms from this unfettered expansion.”
As investigations continue, the incident underscores the ongoing challenges and concerns associated with the deployment of autonomous vehicles on public roads. The DMV’s swift response reflects the regulatory commitment to ensure the safety of both autonomous vehicle occupants and the general public.