California Agencies Suspend Cruise Robotaxi Licenses Over Safety Concerns
State regulators immediately ground Cruise's fleet of 150 driverless cars in San Francisco following a recent incident where a vehicle drags a pedestrian. The DMV and CPUC take action after the company omits crucial details about the robotaxi's movements.
Two California state agencies immediately suspend the licenses for Cruise’s driverless cars, effectively grounding the company's fleet of about 150 robotaxis in San Francisco. The Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission take this decisive action by citing serious public safety concerns. This sudden halt ends the 24/7 operations that the public utilities commission only recently approved in August.
The regulatory crackdown stems from a disturbing Oct. 2 incident where a Cruise autonomous vehicle drags a pedestrian who suffers an initial hit from a human-driven, hit-and-run vehicle. Cruise initially shows regulators video that ends with the robotaxi braking and stopping after the pedestrian falls into its path. However, the company fails to mention that the vehicle then attempts to pull over while the injured pedestrian remains trapped underneath it.
The DMV states that it only learns of the robotaxi's subsequent, dangerous movement through discussions with another government agency rather than from Cruise itself. This omission of crucial information directly prompts the state to revoke the General Motors-owned company's permits to test, deploy, and carry passengers. Founded in San Francisco in 2013, Cruise now faces a massive setback after operating its fully driverless public taxi service for over a year.