WASHINGTON – U.S. auto security regulators mentioned Friday they’ve opened a proper security probe into the autonomous driving system in automobiles produced by Normal Motors’ robotaxi unit Cruise LLC.
The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) mentioned it has obtained notices of incidents during which automobiles operated by Cruise “might have interaction in inappropriately exhausting braking or develop into immobilized.”
The company mentioned whereas each points “seem like distinct, they every end result within the Cruise automobiles changing into sudden roadway obstacles.” The protection company’s preliminary analysis covers 242 Cruise autonomous automobiles and is step one earlier than it may search a recall.
The investigation follows studies of three crashes during which Cruise automobiles have been struck from behind by different vehicles after the autonomous automobiles braked rapidly.
Cruise is providing restricted service in San Francisco with a small fleet of Chevrolet Bolt EVs.
Cruise mentioned it has “pushed almost 700,000 absolutely autonomous miles in an especially advanced city atmosphere with zero life-threatening accidents or fatalities…. There’s at all times a steadiness between wholesome regulatory scrutiny and the innovation we desperately want to save lots of lives, which is why we’ll proceed to completely cooperate with NHTSA or any regulator in attaining that shared purpose.”
NHTSA mentioned it plans to completely assess the potential safety-related points posed by these two sorts of incidents and can overview “the commonality and security logic of the exhausting braking incidents” and the “frequency, period and security penalties related to the car immobilization incidents.”
Final month, Cruise Chief Working Officer Gil West instructed Reuters the corporate plans to enter a “massive variety of markets” and scale operations as much as “1000’s of automobiles” in 2023.
NHTSA mentioned the problems “might introduce a number of potential hazards resembling a collision with a Cruise car, danger to a stranded passenger exiting an immobilized Cruise car, or obstruction of different site visitors together with emergency automobiles.”
The company mentioned it has three studies of Cruise automobiles automated driving system “initiating a tough braking maneuver in response to a different highway person that was rapidly approaching from the rear. In every case, the opposite highway person subsequently struck the rear of the ADS-equipped car.”
Cruise mentioned police didn’t ticket their automobiles in any of the three crashes.
NHTSA mentioned it has been notified of a number of studies involving Cruise automobiles working with out onboard human supervision changing into immobilized, which “might strand car passengers in unsafe places, resembling lanes of journey or intersections, and develop into an sudden impediment to different highway customers.”
Cruise in September recalled and up to date software program in 80 self-driving automobiles after a June crash in San Francisco that left two individuals injured. NHTSA mentioned the recalled software program may “incorrectly predict” an oncoming car’s path. Cruise mentioned it had decided this uncommon situation wouldn’t recur after the replace.
GM and Cruise in February disclosed they petitioned NHTSA for permission to deploy some self-driving automobiles with out steering wheels, mirrors, flip indicators or windshield wipers. That petition remains to be pending.