Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors that specializes in autonomous driving technology, is resuming testing of its self-driving vehicles on public roads this week. The testing was halted last October after a serious accident in San Francisco involving one of the company’s vehicles hitting a pedestrian. Despite being unoccupied, the Cruise vehicle attempted to pull off the road following the collision and dragged the pedestrian along the pavement for about 20 feet. This incident led to the suspension of Cruise’s permits in California due to lack of cooperation during the investigation into the crash.
As a result of this incident, Cruise made significant changes within the company. The CEO and other executives resigned, and nearly a quarter of the workforce was laid off. An investigation commissioned by Cruise revealed faults within their attitude towards regulators and handling of the aftermath of the incident. The company has acknowledged their failures in meeting expectations and not cooperating with regulators, and has committed to making improvements to ensure the safety of their self-driving technology moving forward.
In light of these changes, Cruise will resume testing its vehicles in Phoenix, Arizona with a “safety driver” at the wheel of modified Chevrolet Bolt EVs. This driver will be ready to take control if needed during testing on public roads.
