California DMV Immediately Suspends Cruise Robotaxi Permits Over Withheld Video
The California DMV immediately suspends Cruise's driverless testing and deployment permits, accusing the company of withholding crucial video footage of a recent pedestrian incident. This abrupt halt ends the GM subsidiary's commercial robotaxi operations in San Francisco.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles immediately suspends Cruise’s deployment and driverless testing permits, effectively ending the GM subsidiary’s robotaxi operations in San Francisco. The DMV takes this drastic action because Cruise withholds video footage from an ongoing investigation into a recent accident.
The incident in question involves a pedestrian who is initially hit by a human-driven car and then trapped under a Cruise vehicle. During an October 3 meeting, Cruise only shows the DMV the footage of the initial hard-braking stop, but omits the subsequent video showing the robotaxi attempting a pullover maneuver while dragging the pedestrian about 20 feet at seven miles per hour.
The DMV states that this omission hinders the agency's ability to evaluate the safe operation of Cruise vehicles and puts public safety at risk. While Cruise claims it shares the entire video with regulators, the DMV stands by its assessment, and the federal NHTSA simultaneously conducts its own investigation into Cruise's autonomous system following several pedestrian incidents.