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Cruise pays fine to resume testing in California after accident

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The agreement is related to an accident involving a Cruise robotaxi last year

What’s the matter

Cruise, a General Motors subsidiary specializing in autonomous driving, has settled a dispute with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

The company has agreed to pay a fine of $112,500 (nearly Rs 94 lakh) for failing to disclose full information about an accident involving one of its robotaxis last year.

This solution will allow Cruise to avoid litigation and pave the way for it to resume operations in California.

Details of the incident and Cruise’s remedial actions

In October 2023, a Cruise robotaxi was involved in an accident in which it struck a pedestrian who had been thrown into its path by another vehicle.

The robot taxi then pulled the pedestrian along for a distance of six metres in a rollover maneuver.

Cruise ship personnel did not immediately release these details during the investigation.

This resulted in both the CPUC and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) revoking the company’s permits to operate self-driving vehicles in California.

Efforts to restore public trust

Following the incident, Cruise took several “corrective actions” to address the CPUC’s concerns.

These include hiring law firm Quinn Emanuel to conduct an internal investigation, creating more transparent corporate processes and facilitating personnel changes, such as the departure of former CEO Kyle Vogt.

The Commission found that Cruise had accepted responsibility for its past mistakes and promised greater transparency in its future dealings with the agency.

Settlement conditions and future plans

As part of the settlement, Cruise is also required to regularly share incident information with the CPUC, including expanded collision reporting and monthly reports of incidents involving stopped autonomous vehicles that require physical recovery.

The company was praised for seeking an expedited resolution rather than engaging in lengthy legal proceedings.

The decision states: “Cruise is on the path to restoring public trust by becoming a more transparent and collaborative company.”

Cruises activities in other countries

Despite previous criticism over frequent malfunctions, Cruise will gradually return to public roads in states with less regulatory oversight.

Since April, the company has deployed mini-fleets with human security personnel for mapping and testing purposes in Phoenix, Houston and Dallas.

In California, where competitor Waymo is expanding rapidly, Cruise could take a similar approach.

The company has a valid permit from the DMV to test its vehicles with a safety driver.

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