In a significant move to prioritize public safety, two California state agencies, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Public Utilities Commission, have decided to suspend the licenses of Cruise, a well-known driverless car company. This suspension impacts Cruise’s ability to test and deploy autonomous vehicles, as well as its capacity to carry passengers. The primary catalyst behind this decision was a recent incident that occurred in San Francisco, prompting concerns about the safety of autonomous vehicles on the road.
A Brief Introduction to Cruise
Cruise, founded in San Francisco in 2013, marked a major milestone in 2020 when it conducted its first fully autonomous ride in the city. The company subsequently introduced a fully driverless taxi service to the public in early 2022, allowing riders to summon vehicles through a user-friendly app. Initially available only during the nighttime, the service expanded to operate 24/7 after receiving approval from the California Public Utilities Commission.
The Incident that Led to Suspension
The DMV’s decision to suspend Cruise’s licenses was grounded in an alarming incident that transpired on October 2nd in San Francisco. In this unfortunate occurrence, a Cruise autonomous vehicle was involved in an incident where it dragged a pedestrian who had been struck by another vehicle moments earlier. The vehicle responsible for the initial impact was driven by a human who fled the scene and remains unarrested, according to various media reports.
Unveiling the Surveillance Footage
Following the incident, Cruise held discussions with representatives from the DMV and the California Highway Patrol. During these discussions, the company presented video footage captured by the vehicle’s cameras. The video showed that the autonomous vehicle had stopped after braking when the pedestrian fell into its path due to the previous collision. However, what the DMV was not made aware of during these discussions was that the Cruise vehicle had attempted to pull over while the pedestrian was still beneath it.
Discovering the Unreported Movement
Surprisingly, it was another government agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, that revealed the subsequent movement of the autonomous vehicle. The DMV was only informed about the additional details through discussions with this agency. As a response, the DMV requested further footage from Cruise, which they received on October 13th.
Regulatory Basis for Suspension
The DMV’s decision to suspend Cruise’s licenses is rooted in its authority to take such action when there is deemed to be an unreasonable risk to public safety. In a news release, the DMV highlighted that Cruise’s suspension is also partly linked to a state regulation concerning the misrepresentation of information related to the safety of autonomous vehicle technology.
Cruise’s Response
Cruise has contested the DMV’s claim that they did not present the full video during their initial meeting. The company asserts that they had a meeting with the DMV on October 3rd, during which they displayed the complete video multiple times. Later, when requested, they provided a copy of the video shown during this meeting to the DMV.
The DMV maintains its stance, asserting that it “stands by the facts contained in the order of suspension.” Cruise also shared a statement on its website in which they described the incident as follows: “The AV detected a collision, bringing the vehicle to a stop; then attempted to pull over to avoid causing further road safety issues, pulling the individual forward approximately 20 feet.” The company expressed its intention to incorporate this incident into future simulation tests to improve the vehicle’s decision-making processes.
What’s Next for Cruise?
Cruise now has a window of five days to request a hearing regarding the suspension of its deployment license and 60 days to request a hearing about the suspension of its driverless testing permit issued by the DMV.
The Role of the California Public Utilities Commission
Simultaneously, the California Public Utilities Commission has suspended Cruise’s ability to carry passengers within its autonomous vehicle deployment and driverless pilot programs. The commission is conducting its own investigations into Cruise’s operations.
Although both the DMV and the commission collaborate on regulating autonomous vehicles, they made their suspension decisions independently. Notably, these suspensions do not impact Cruise’s ability to conduct vehicle tests with safety drivers. However, the commission’s suspension restricts the company’s capacity to carry passengers, even when a safety driver is present.
The Impact of Prior Decisions
These latest suspensions come on the heels of previous regulatory actions. In early August, the commission had approved Cruise and another autonomous vehicle company, Waymo, to extend their robotaxi services in San Francisco, allowing them to operate around the clock. Subsequently, the DMV had ordered Cruise to reduce its 300-vehicle fleet by half as it investigated several incidents involving the company’s autonomous vehicles, including a collision with a fire truck.
In mid-August, San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu sought to halt the public utilities commission’s decision. He cited concerns about “poor AV performance creating safety hazards and interfering with first responder operations, public transit, street construction workers, and the flow of traffic.” Chiu’s office also planned to request a rehearing, a request that is currently pending.
Labor Protests and City Council Action
On the same day as the suspensions were announced, labor leaders and other concerned citizens gathered in Los Angeles to protest Waymo’s introduction of a robotaxi service in Santa Monica and Venice. They voiced apprehensions about safety and cited previous collisions involving self-driving vehicles in San Francisco. Additionally, there were concerns about potential job losses in the wake of increased autonomous vehicle use.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez intends to introduce a motion urging the city attorney to join San Francisco in calling for more “common-sense regulations” on self-driving cars. Soto-Martinez emphasized the need to avoid putting lives at risk by using the city as a testing ground for the tech industry.
Waymo’s Perspective
In response to these concerns, Waymo spokesperson Sandy Karp stressed that the company encourages people to recognize the positive impact of their autonomous ride-hailing services in terms of safety, accessibility, and sustainability.
Ongoing Debate Over Autonomous Vehicle Regulation
The regulation of driverless vehicles remains a subject of significant debate in California. Earlier in the year, Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that aimed to regulate self-driving trucks. In his veto message, Newsom argued that such regulation was unnecessary, as existing laws already provided adequate authority for creating the appropriate regulatory framework.
As the debate over autonomous vehicle safety continues, the recent suspensions of Cruise’s licenses underscore the pressing need for robust regulatory measures to ensure the safety of autonomous vehicles on California’s roads.
In a move prompted by safety concerns, two key state agencies, the Department of Motor Vehicles and the California Public Utilities Commission, have suspended the licenses of Cruise, a prominent driverless car company. The suspension follows a recent incident in San Francisco and raises questions about the regulation and safety of autonomous vehicles in California. The actions of the DMV and the commission, as well as the response from Cruise, reflect the ongoing debate and challenges in the field of autonomous vehicles and their potential impact on public safety.