Almost 1000 robo-taxis in the US will be recalled to correct a software fault which resulted in a pedestrian being dragged down the road by an autonomous car – and contributed to the suspension of the robo-taxi operator’s permits in California.
UPDATE, 2 October 2024: General Motors self-driving subsidiary Cruise is set to pay a $US1.5 million ($AU2.1 million) fine following its failure to provide details relating to a car accident in 2023 that involved one of its autonomous taxis hitting a pedestrian.
According to global news publication Reuters, Cruise employees allegedly “tried to convince the NHTSA [National Highway Traffic Safety Administration]” not to probe into the incident, with the autonomous rideshare company reportedly submitting reports that failed to disclose the struck pedestrian had been trapped under one of its self-driving cars.
While GM Cruise has settled the NHTSA safety probe, it continues to face ongoing investigations by the US Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to the incident.
Our original story continues unchanged below.
Friday, 2 October 2023: US car giant General Motors will recall all 950 vehicles from its Cruise ‘robo-taxi’ program – the largest fleet of autonomous driverless cars in the US – after a incident caused by a software error led to an already-struck pedestrian being dragged down the road last month.
As reported earlier this week, General Motors suspended its Cruise program – the autonomous vehicle division it purchased in 2016 – in October due to safety concerns following multiple incidents and the suspension of the robo-taxi operator’s licence in California.
It also paused work on the Cruise Origin, a six-seat robo-taxi shuttle with no steering wheel or controls for a human driver, in development as part of a joint venture with Japanese car maker Honda.
This week, the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) issued a voluntary recall in conjunction with GM to fix software issues which the safety body says may cause Cruise vehicles to “respond improperly after a crash.”
The recall will attempt to correct a software fault when a Cruise robo-taxi attempts to pull over after a collision instead of remaining where it is, the company said in a statement.
“After a collision, Cruise AVs [Autonomous Vehicles] are designed to perform a manoeuvre to minimise the safety risks to the extent possible within the driving context.
“This is called achieving a minimal risk condition, and it’s required under California regulations and encouraged under Federal AV guidance.”
On 2 October 2023, a San Francisco pedestrian who had been struck by a hit-and-run driver was hit a second time by a Cruise robo-taxi, which initially came to a stop but then drove another six metres with the woman trapped under the vehicle.
Cruise said a similar collision is possible “every 10 million to 100 million miles of driving on average” but is working on a software update to remedy the issue, which may result in yet further voluntary recalls.
“As our software improves, it is likely we will file additional recalls to inform both NHTSA and the public of updates to enhance safety across our fleet,” said the company’s recall statement.
Cruise has also said it had started a number of technical, safety and community engagement work streams in response, including the search for a Chief Safety Officer who will directly report to Cruise CEO, Kyle Vogt.
Upon pausing its program on 25 October, a social media statement on X (formerly Twitter) by Cruise said: “The most important thing for us right now is to take steps to rebuild public trust.
“Part of this involves taking a hard look inwards and at how we do work at Cruise, even if it means doing things that are uncomfortable or difficult.”
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