Cruise Fleet Slashed Following Collisions : The California DMV is investigating Cruise, GM’s self-driving car division. Because of a series of alarming events in San Francisco, such a fire truck collision on its route to an emergency. The appropriate authorities have ordered Cruise to immediately decrease its operational fleet by 50% until a full investigation and remedies are completed.
Official sources indicate Cruise can only test 50 self-driving cars during the day and 150 at night due to rigorous constraints. A Cruise spokeswoman said the business will respect regulatory group guidelines.
Cruise achieved a major success a few weeks ago when state regulators let them to operate for-pay robotaxi services in San Francisco 24/7. This regulatory crackdown follows. Cruise won for the first time in the U.S. Before this license, the business could only operate from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. This limited its interaction with pedestrian and vehicle traffic, which could confuse algorithms. This guideline was implemented to help the corporation avoid touching people and cars.
Two occurrences on Thursday of the previous week proved how defective the technology was and brought it to everyone’s attention. The San Francisco Cruise general manager stated on a blog that the fire truck accident occurred when the emergency vehicle, which appeared to be in a haste to reach to the incident, drove into oncoming traffic to escape a red light. San Francisco Cruise general manager wrote the post. Even though Cruise’s self-driving car knew the risk, it crashed. Several minor bruising caused a passenger to be transported to the hospital for safety.
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Cruise spokesperson Hannah Lindow claimed their autonomous vehicle (AV) spotted the automobile coming and braked to prepare, but it still hit it. This was mentioned even though the car coming the other way had braked. No one was in the Cruise AV when it crashed. The other car’s driver was treated and sent away after the accident.
These IT issues are common. Cruise announced the event on Twitter, X, the week prior. Cruise claims that another self-driving car became caught in wet cement at a construction site. After recent occurrences, the corporation announced, “The vehicle has been found, and we are talking with the city.”
More research and development is needed to create fail-safe, autonomous passenger vehicles. In 2016, General Motors bought Cruise for an absurd $1 billion to be a vital component of the self-driving car future. General Motors bought Cruise to be a prominent player in self-driving automobiles. However, perfecting self-driving automobiles has been difficult. This has forced several industry leaders to rethink or abandon their ambitions. These issues make it tougher to develop error-free self-driving cars.
Taxi industry leaders who set standards. In recent years, Uber and Lyft sold their self-driving car businesses to exit the industry. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a self-driving vehicle enthusiast, hasn’t fully accomplished his goal for the company. Tesla drivers must “stay alert, keep their hands on the wheel, and always have full control of the vehicle.” Even if Tesla is beta testing a $15,000 “full self-driving” option, this remains true.
The recent Cruise autonomous fleet incidents demonstrate how many obstacles remain to a world without human drivers.
Our Reader’s Queries
What is the problem with Robotaxis in San Francisco?
The launch of these cars has been riddled with issues. They have been involved in a number of problematic situations, such as driving into firefighting scenes, causing construction delays, and even impeding ambulances. In some cases, they have even wandered into active crime scenes. According to San Francisco fire chief Jeanine Nicholson, there have been over 75 incidents, making it feel like a game of Russian roulette.
Is Cruise fully owned by GM?
Cruise, established in 2013 and acquired by G.M. in 2016, is among the many startups striving to create self-driving cars for a driverless-taxi service in cities across the United States. Waymo, owned by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is one of its competitors.
Who owns Cruise robo taxi?
The recent setback is a blow to an industry that relies heavily on public trust and regulatory cooperation. The unit had big plans to expand to more cities and provide fully autonomous taxi rides, but this may now be put on hold. GM acquired Cruise in 2016, and the company will need to regroup and reassess its strategy moving forward.
When did Cruise start in San Francisco?
Cruise, a San Francisco-based company established in 2013, recently made headlines by conducting its first-ever driverless ride in the city in 2020. The company has now taken things a step further by launching a fully driverless taxi service in early 2022. This service allows riders to summon vehicles in a similar fashion to ride-hailing apps, making it incredibly convenient for those looking for a hassle-free transportation experience. With Cruise’s innovative approach to transportation, the future of commuting is looking brighter than ever before.