San Francisco, CA – On October 24, 2023, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issued a crucial statement announcing the immediate suspension of Cruise LLC’s deployment and driverless testing permits. This decisive action emanated from burgeoning concerns over public safety, with the DMV articulating that there was “an unreasonable risk to public safety” posed by Cruise’s autonomous taxi operations within the state.
The suspensions were meticulously predicated on a variety of regulatory provisions, encapsulating concerns over the safety performance of the vehicles, potential misrepresentation of pivotal safety information concerning autonomous technology, along with any acts or omissions by Cruise or its agents that were adjudged to pose an unreasonable risk to the public on the roadways.
The catalyst for this suspension partially stemmed from a disconcerting incident where a Cruise robotaxi reportedly dragged a person, culminating in the DMV pronouncing the company’s autonomous taxis as “not safe”. Moreover, before this stern regulatory action, the DMV had made a request to Cruise to judiciously reduce its robotaxi fleet by 50% in San Francisco, indicating a growing apprehension towards the safety of autonomous taxis.
Being an integral part of General Motors, Cruise represents a substantial entity within the burgeoning autonomous vehicle sector. This suspension delineates a notable regulatory action by the California DMV, underscoring their indelible priority on ensuring public safety amidst the advancement of autonomous vehicle technology.
In a bid to navigate through this regulatory impasse, Cruise has been provided with a detailed roadmap entailing the steps required to apply for reinstatement of its suspended permits. However, the DMV has stipulated that it will not green-light the reinstatement until Cruise meticulously fulfills the requisite conditions to the department’s satisfaction. It’s salient to note that this regulatory decision does not encroach upon Cruise’s permit for conducting testing with a safety driver present, thus providing a sliver of operational leeway amidst stringent regulatory scrutiny.
