The GM startup Cruise is to pay a high fine because it submitted the accident report too late.
The autonomous driving division Cruise from General Motors faces severe punishment. California regulators announced Thursday that they were imposing a maximum fine of $112,500 on Cruise. This is because the company failed to provide the Commission with full, timely information about a serious accident involving one of its robotaxis last year.
This incident joins a series of events that are increasing safety concerns about self-driving vehicles. Not just Cruise, but also other companies in this sector like Waymo of alphabet and Zoox of Amazon are under increased scrutiny by the regulatory authorities. The increase in accidents involving autonomous vehicles has led to increased scrutiny of the technology.
The penalty imposed consists of $7,500 for each of the 15 days that Cruise withheld information about the incident. In addition to the fine, the company agrees to submit future “collision reports” to both the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for accidents in California.
The specific incident that led to this punishment occurred on October 2nd. A pedestrian who was initially struck by another vehicle entered the path of a self-driving cruise vehicle and was dragged approximately 20 feet. The woman suffered serious injuries but was expected to survive, according to a person familiar with the matter.
As a result of this accident, Cruise’s license to operate in California was revoked and the NHTSA ordered a recall of the vehicles. Although Cruise resumed U.S. operations in April with a small fleet of human-driven vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona, approval for passenger transport using autonomous vehicles remains suspended in California.
Cruise responded to the decision, saying it was pleased to have reached an agreement with the CPUC. The company emphasized that it had taken important steps in recent months to improve leadership, processes and corporate culture. These measures are aimed at regaining the trust of authorities and the public and demonstrating the security of their technology.
Source: Reuters