US and California officials said on Tuesday that they were in discussions with General Motors' self-driving unit, Cruise, about an accident in San Francisco involving a pedestrian hit by a vehicle into the path of a robot taxi.
A pedestrian was struck on 2 October by a hit-and-run driver and thrown into an adjacent lane and hit a second time by the Cruise robotaxi, which could not stop in time, the company said.
The self-driving vehicle came to a stop on top of the pedestrian, the San Francisco Fire Department said on social media, adding that the victim was freed using rescue tools and transported to a nearby trauma centre.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Tuesday that it "was aware of the incident and was in contact with the operator and local authorities to gather additional information."
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) said it met with Cruise on Tuesday to get more information on the incident and it "took all collisions involving autonomous vehicles seriously".
San Francisco police said Cruise was cooperating in the investigation.
Cruise allowed Reuters and other media outlets to view video of the crash, which was consistent with the company's statement.
The DMV in August said it was investigating "recent concerning incidents" involving Cruise vehicles in San Francisco and asked the company to take half its robotaxis off the roads, a request Cruise complied with.
The DMV noted on Tuesday that the Cruise investigation is ongoing and that it could "suspend or revoke testing and/or deployment permits if it was determined to be an unreasonable risk to public safety". The Teamsters Union last week asked NHTSA to deny a petition from Cruise seeking permission to deploy up to 2,500 self-driving vehicles annually without human controls like steering wheels.
Cruise wants to deploy its Origin vehicle, which has subway-like doors and no steering wheels. Current robotaxis in use on public roads have human controls.
In December, NHTSA opened a formal safety probe into the autonomous driving system in vehicles produced by Cruise after reports of two injuries in rear-end crashes. NHTSA said Cruise vehicles "may engage in inappropriately hard braking or become immobilised".
Korean automaker Hyundai has been an unmitigated success in the SA new car space. The relative newcomer to the market has been a consistent top-five feature on the new-car sales charts. There are many reasons for this, including good, reliable products at competitive prices. In part, the success is also driven by innovation.
South Africa's automotive sector is set for a significant transformation as Chinese and Indian vehicle manufacturers prepare to shift from basic assembly operations to full-scale local production.
Lightstone Auto has rolled out a cutting-edge integration designed to transform how alternative lenders, rent-to-own providers and niche finance firms engage with dealerships.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.
Daniel Pink
South Africa's automotive sector is set for a significant transformation as Chinese and Indian vehicle manufacturers prepare to shift from basic assembly operations to full-scale local production.
South Africa’s automotive landscape has shifted in recent years as new Chinese brands enter the market, sparking both curiosity and scepticism as each promises better value and a fresher approach.
Ford has officially ceased production of its Focus with the last versions coming of the line at the Saarlouis plant in Germany, drawing to a close more than five decades of manufacturing history.
