The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has suspended Cruise’s deployment and driverless permits, effective immediately. This decision follows several concerning incidents involving Cruise’s autonomous vehicles in San Francisco, where the company has been testing its technology. The suspension comes just months after the General Motors-owned company received permission for 24/7 robotaxi operation in the city.
The DMV’s suspension order cites several factors, including an accusation that Cruise withheld video footage related to a recent incident where a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and then trapped under a Cruise autonomous car. The pedestrian is still recovering. The DMV claims Cruise failed to provide complete footage of the autonomous vehicle’s maneuvers immediately after the impact, only discovering additional footage through another government agency. Cruise, however, maintains that it provided the “full video” to the DMV.
The DMV states that this lack of full disclosure hinders their ability to assess Cruise’s safety protocols, posing a risk to public safety. According to the regulator, “Public safety remains the California DMV’s top priority, and the department’s autonomous vehicle regulations provide a framework to facilitate the safe testing and deployment of this technology on California public roads. When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits.” Cruise must now fulfill specific requirements to have its permit reinstated.
While the suspension only affects Cruise’s fully driverless vehicles and not those with safety drivers, Cruise has voluntarily paused all driverless operations in San Francisco. In a statement to MaagX, Cruise emphasized its commitment to safety, stating, “Ultimately, we develop and deploy autonomous vehicles in an effort to save lives.”
Regarding the incident under review, Cruise explained, “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. Our thoughts continue to be with the victim as we hope for a rapid and complete recovery.” Cruise reiterates that it proactively shared information, including the “full video,” with the DMV and other relevant agencies.
This is not the first time Cruise’s autonomous vehicles have faced scrutiny. In August, a collision with a fire truck led to a 50% reduction in Cruise’s San Francisco fleet. Another incident the same month involved a Cruise car stuck in wet concrete.
