Cruise Outsourcing Review of Regulatory Response After Driverless Vehicle Suspension

Introduction

Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, has confirmed that its board has hired an external law firm and technology consultants to review its regulatory response following the suspension of its driverless vehicle operations by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. This action comes after a high-profile incident where one of Cruise’s vehicles struck a pedestrian, leading to government intervention.

The Incident

While the details of the incident have been extensively covered, it is important to note that reports suggest the victim was initially struck by another vehicle. However, the response of the driverless car in the aftermath may have exacerbated the situation, as it resulted in dragging the injured pedestrian beneath the vehicle.

Limited Access to Footage

Unlike Uber, which publicly released footage of a fatal incident involving one of its vehicles, Cruise has only granted access to law enforcement and select journalists to view the relevant videos. Instead, Cruise has issued press releases and simulations to demonstrate that autonomous vehicles are superior in handling emergencies. The company plans to reexamine how its vehicles are programmed to respond to similar incidents.

External Review

According to Reuters, Cruise’s board has hired law firm Quinn Emanuel and technology consultant Exponent to review the company’s management responses to regulatory investigations into the October 2nd accident. General Motors expressed full support for Cruise’s actions, emphasizing their commitment to safety and building trust with regulators and the community.

Ongoing Investigations

Federal and state safety regulators are currently investigating a series of accidents involving Cruise’s driverless vehicles. Last month, California regulators suspended Cruise’s license to operate driverless vehicles, citing concerns about public safety. The regulators accused Cruise of misrepresenting information about an accident where a Cruise vehicle struck a pedestrian after she had already been hit by a human-operated vehicle. Additionally, federal regulators are investigating incidents where Cruise’s driverless cars failed to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks and were struck from behind by other vehicles.

Impartiality of External Assessment

While Cruise is taking steps to improve its operations, the hiring of an external legal team and technology experts suggests a defensive stance. However, concerns arise about the impartiality of these external companies when they are still on the corporate payroll. It remains to be seen how this will impact the ongoing investigations.

Future Outlook

General Motors has significant investments in Cruise and believes that commercialized autonomous vehicles will be a highly lucrative industry. Therefore, it is unlikely that the automaker will accept the suspension without a fight. However, the resolution of the government investigations is expected to be a slow process, as some incidents date back to 2021 and are far from being concluded.

[Image: General Motors]

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