Cruise was already in hot water with California authorities after a string of high-profile incidents, and now the company is suspending all operations to regroup and rebuild public trust.
The company made an announcement on X, saying, “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.”
The California DMV suspended Cruise’s ability to operate in the state earlier this week, accusing it of withholding footage of a crash between one of its vehicles and a pedestrian. The state’s public utilities commission had only just approved Cruise’s ability to charge for rides in August, so it didn’t take long for things to go sideways.
Cruise’s most recent crash with a pedestrian is frightening because the vehicle continued driving for several feet with the person stuck under the car. The company found that the car braked hard and tried to pull over, but the maneuvers didn’t prevent the accident.
Though we’re still a long way off from anything even slightly resembling self-driving cars, Cruise’s challenges illustrate how hard it is for a vehicle to successfully navigate the world without a person behind the wheel. That said, the regulatory and legislative landscape is fragmented between 50 states, so there are far more hurdles to clear than figuring out the tech.
[Image: Michael Vi via Shutterstock]
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