The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has suspended the deployment and testing permits for Cruise, the autonomous vehicle subsidiary of General Motors, self-driving vehicles, effective immediately.
The suspension follows a series of safety concerns and incidents that have raised questions about the safety of Cruise’s autonomous technology.
In a statement the DMV said its decision was based on a range of factors, including the determination that Cruise’s autonomous vehicles were “not safe for the public’s operation.” The agency also cited instances where the company had misrepresented information related to the safety of its autonomous technology.
Cruise has responded to the suspension by announcing a pause in the operations of its driverless autonomous vehicles in San Francisco. The company is working with the California DMV to address the issues raised during the investigation.
While the suspension affects Cruise’s autonomous deployment and driverless testing permits, the company can still test its vehicles on the road as long as there is a safety driver present.
(1/6) We learned today at 10:30 am PT of the California DMV’s suspension of our driverless permits. As a result, we will be pausing operations of our driverless AVs in San Francisco. https://t.co/A5HAV2WUv7
— cruise (@Cruise) October 24, 2023
The suspension is a significant setback for Cruise. It comes after a series of accidents and incidents involving Cruise vehicles in San Francisco. Earlier this month the company announced some changes to their software to enhance the interaction between its autonomous vehicles (AVs) and emergency vehicles.
