The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles both suspended the license for Cruise to utilize autonomous taxis to provide driverless rides in the city of San Fransisco.
This follows a bizarre accident recently where a woman was hit by a human-driven car and was launched into the pathway of a robotaxi that subsequently trapped her under the car.
The DMV had initially asked for Cruise to pause its service while the investigation into the accident was conducted.
The announcement to completely suspend the service by the DMV comes after revelations of Cruise’s lack of transparency with the investigation.
The company reportedly withheld parts of the video of the accident from investigators.
The company only turned over the parts of the video that showed the car initially stopping when the accident was detected.
It failed to show the subsequent events in which the car then drove an additional 20 feet to pull off the road, dragging the seriously injured victim at low speed.
“The subsequent maneuvering of the vehicle indicates that Cruise’s vehicles may lack the ability to respond in a safe and appropriate manner during incidents involving a pedestrian so as not to unnecessarily put the pedestrian or others at risk of further injury,” the DMV said.
The suspension is a major setback for the company, which received approval to operate its fleet on a 24/7 basis in the city only weeks before the incident.
The agency has reportedly provided Cruise with a series of changes they must make to the vehicle before they consider reinstating the company’s permit.
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