- General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle unit recalls 950 cars to update software following a pedestrian dragging incident.
- Cruise had to halt all driverless operations after California regulators revoked their license due to safety concerns.
- Crash occurred when a hit-and-run driver struck a woman, and the Cruise vehicle inadvertently dragged her after initially detecting the collision.
Additional Coverage:
General Motors’ Cruise autonomous vehicle unit has issued a recall for all 950 of its cars in order to update the software. This decision comes after one of its vehicles dragged a pedestrian to the side of a street in San Francisco in October. The updated software will ensure that Cruise vehicles remain stationary in similar cases, according to documents posted by U.S. safety regulators.
Following the October 2 crash, Cruise had to halt its driverless operations across the country. This action was taken after California regulators determined that the company’s cars posed a threat to public safety. The California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked Cruise’s license, which had allowed them to transport passengers without human drivers in San Francisco.
According to CBS News Bay Area, the crash occurred when a hit-and-run driver struck a woman who was crossing the street against a red light. The impact caused her to be thrown into the path of the Cruise vehicle. While the vehicle initially detected the collision and stopped, it then pulled to the right in order to get out of traffic, inadvertently dragging the pedestrian about 20 feet.
Cruise has stated that it has already updated the software in its test vehicles, which are currently being supervised by human safety drivers. The driverless fleet will receive the new software before they resume operations.
In addition to the San Francisco incident, Cruise has also been testing a robotaxi service in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Austin, Texas.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles did not provide specific reasons for the suspension of Cruise’s license. However, they did accuse the company of misrepresenting safety information about their autonomous technology.
The decision to revoke Cruise’s license came after a series of incidents that raised concerns about the dangers and inconveniences caused by their robotaxis.