On Monday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a $1.5 million fine against Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving vehicle division. This penalty follows a serious incident in October 2023, where one of Cruise’s autonomous vehicles struck a pedestrian in San Francisco, dragging them for 20 feet at approximately 7 miles per hour.
The fine was imposed because Cruise failed to disclose critical details about the accident in their initial reports, which are required to include comprehensive information regarding pre-crash, crash, and post-crash circumstances.
The shortcomings in Cruise’s reporting became evident after the NHTSA reviewed the documents submitted by the company. Specifically, the reports omitted the vital fact that the pedestrian had been dragged, which resulted in severe injuries.
In response to the NHTSA’s concerns, Cruise later provided a 100-page report prepared by a law firm, which outlined various failures related to the accident. Notably, during early meetings with San Francisco officials and regulatory bodies, executives presented a video of the incident that failed to capture the critical moment of the dragging due to connectivity issues, further complicating the investigation.
NHTSA Imposes $1.5 Million Fine on Cruise Following Serious Incident Involving Autonomous Vehicle
Upon further investigation, the NHTSA requested the full video of the incident, which ultimately revealed the dragging of the pedestrian.
This prompted the agency to assess additional reports submitted by Cruise, leading to the identification of four other incomplete crash reports that the company had amended to include further details. This pattern of inadequate reporting raised significant concerns about Cruise’s safety practices and transparency regarding its autonomous vehicle operations.
In response to these findings, the NHTSA has implemented a set of corrective actions that Cruise must follow moving forward. These include the submission of a comprehensive corrective action plan, detailed reports on the total number of vehicles, miles traveled, and operations conducted without a driver.
Additionally, Cruise is required to summarize any software updates affecting vehicle functionality and report traffic law violations. The company must also hold quarterly meetings with the NHTSA to review operational compliance, with this oversight in place for at least two years, potentially extending to three.
The repercussions of this incident have been far-reaching for Cruise, leading to a temporary halt in its self-driving operations. The fallout included a leadership shakeup, with the resignation of the CEO and significant reductions in GM’s investment in Cruise.
Despite these challenges, the company is making efforts to recover, having resumed driver-operated services in Arizona and Houston and re-entered the California market. Under new leadership, Cruise is working to enhance safety protocols and regain public trust following the serious accident.
