Cruise, the driverless car company owned by General Motors, has agreed to reduce its fleet of autonomous vehicles in San Francisco following a recent crash involving one of its taxis. The collision occurred just one week after state regulators allowed the expansion of driverless taxi services in the city. As a result, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has requested that Cruise halve the number of vehicles it operates in San Francisco. The incident involved a Cruise vehicle colliding with a fire truck, resulting in injuries to a passenger. This comes after another Cruise vehicle got stuck in newly poured concrete earlier in the week. In response, Cruise has agreed to operate no more than 50 driverless cars during the day and 150 at night, down from its current fleet of 400 vehicles. The company has stated that it will provide state officials with any necessary data to reinforce the safety and efficiency of its fleet. The California Department of Motor Vehicles is currently investigating the incident and has the authority to suspend or revoke testing and deployment permits if there is deemed to be an unreasonable risk to public safety. San Francisco officials have previously raised concerns about autonomous vehicles interfering with emergency vehicles, with 55 incidents documented before this recent crash. City officials have filed an injunction to temporarily halt the expansion of driverless taxi services. Neither Cruise nor its rival Waymo, owned by Alphabet, have provided details on how they plan to expand their driverless taxi services.
What is Cruise’s current fleet size in San Francisco and how does it plan to reduce it in response to recent incidents?
Cruise, the groundbreaking driverless car company backed by General Motors, has made a significant decision in the wake of a recent accident involving one of its autonomous taxis in San Francisco. This incident occurred just one week following the approval of driverless taxi services in the city, raising concerns about the safety of such vehicles.
Consequently, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has called upon Cruise to reduce its fleet in San Francisco by half. The collision involved a Cruise vehicle and a fire truck, resulting in injuries to a passenger. This happened shortly after another Cruise vehicle became trapped in wet concrete. In response to these incidents, Cruise has agreed to limit its daytime fleet to 50 autonomous cars and its nighttime fleet to 150, a significant decrease from the current number of 400.
Cruise has reassured state authorities that it will provide all necessary data to support the safety and efficiency of its vehicles. Nonetheless, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is conducting an investigation into the matter and retains the power to suspend or revoke testing and deployment permits if it deems there to be an unreasonable risk to public safety.
It is worth noting that this mishap follows numerous concerns raised by San Francisco officials about autonomous vehicles interfering with emergency vehicles. In fact, there have been 55 incidents recorded prior to this recent accident. As a result, city officials have even taken legal action, issuing an injunction in an attempt to temporarily halt the expansion of driverless taxi services.
Interestingly enough, neither Cruise nor its competitor Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, have divulged any details on how they plan to proceed with the expansion of their respective driverless taxi services. However, this recent turn of events underscores the challenges that lie ahead for these companies as they navigate the complex landscape of self-driving technology.
I’m glad Cruise is taking responsibility for the collision and is willing to make adjustments to ensure safety on the roads.
It’s important for companies like Cruise to prioritize safety and make necessary changes after incidents like this.