The California Motor Vehicle Authority has asked an operator of autonomous taxis to immediately remove them from the roads because they are deemed too dangerous.
It had only been two short months since General Motors’ Cruise unit deployed its autonomous taxis on the streets of San Francisco. Here they are already without a driving license! The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has decided to suspend the deployment of 24-hour Cruise cars due to poor security. On October 2, one of the company’s vehicles dragged a pedestrian for several meters who was hit by another vehicle. What calls into question the autonomous driving industry?
Cruise failed in his safety, and did not tell the whole truth to authorities
For the DMV, Cruise vehicles are not safe enough for public use in a large city like San Francisco. The authority, which evokes an unreasonable risk for public safety, also points out the false declarations of the General Motors subsidiary in matters of safety and technology.
The suspension follows an incident involving a Cruise vehicle, which was unable to avoid hitting a pedestrian who had already been hit by a very human driver, who had thrown the victim under the autonomous taxi. Regarding the accident, Cruise said it was carrying out its analysis to improve the response and reaction of its vehicles in such situations.
Except that the order from the California Department of Motor Vehicles also reveals that Cruise did not share all the video footage of the accident, raising concerns about the cars’ ability to respond safely. in the presence of pedestrians.
Promised for a bright future, Cruise takes a blow to the head
General Motors put Cruise on a pedestal, calling the company acquired in 2016 a real growth opportunity. But the suspension of its vehicles in San Francisco and California represents a major setback, not only for the group, but also for the autonomous driving industry. Cruise had already recently announced losses of $723 million, for the third quarter alone. That’s not going to help matters.
Last June, General Motors President Mary Barra tried to reassure Cruise’s capabilities, predicting annual sales of $50 billion by 2030, no less. The decision of the Californian DMV risks seriously disrupting the car manufacturer’s plans.
The authority’s initiative was in any case welcomed by unions and opponents of autonomous vehicles, even if it remains enforceable (Cruise can appeal) and autonomous taxis can still circulate in the streets, on the condition that ‘a human driver is behind the wheel. Note that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the US federal highway safety agency, is conducting a parallel investigation into Cruise to determine whether the company takes sufficient precautions to protect pedestrians.
The news also makes others happy: Google and its subsidiary Waymo. The latter, Cruise’s main competitor, can still take passengers day and night in The City by the Bay.
Source : Wired
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