Cruise Accident With Pedestrian Results in $1.5M Fine by NHTSA

Federal regulators have ordered the autonomous vehicle manufacturer Cruise to pay $1.5 million in fines and submit a corrective action plan, after failing to properly document an accident involving a pedestrian and one of its self-driving cars.

Cruise is a subsidiary of General Motors, specializing in autonomous vehicle technology, aiming to revolutionize urban mobility by developing self-driving cars. These vehicles are intended to operate safely and efficiently in dense urban environments, eliminating the need for human drivers, which may reduce traffic congestion and enhance accessibility.

However, there have been several high profile Cruise accidents in recent years involving the self-driving vehicles, which have raised concerns about the safety and reliability of autonomous transportation systems.

In one of the most recent events, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) issued a press release this week, announcing that a consent order (PDF) has been issued against Cruise ordering the company to pay a $1.5 million fine for failing to fully report an accident involving a pedestrian.

Under NHTSA’s Standing General Order for automated driving systems, self-driving car accident reports must be filed within a specified timeframe, based upon the severity of the incident.

Two of these reports filed by Cruise failed to disclose the post-crash details of an accident on October 2, 2023, in which a Cruise autonomous vehicle dragged a pedestrian approximately 20 feet before coming to a complete stop. NHTSA deemed Cruise’s accident report incomplete after reviewing video footage and discovering the company omitted details of the crash.

Due to concerns about the safety of driverless cars, the state of California suspended Cruise’s robotaxi service in October 2023, following the same accident that resulted in the NHTSA fine this week.

Cruise Self-Driving Cars Will Receive More Oversight

NHTSA’s consent order has an effective date of September 26, and includes both monetary and non-monetary provisions designed to enhance oversight of the company’s safety practices and improve Cruise’s compliance with the law.

As part of the order, Cruise will pay $1.5 million within 30 days of the effective date, and is required to submit a corrective action plan to NHTSA within 60 days, detailing how it will improve compliance with the Standing General Order.

“It is vitally important for companies developing automated driving systems to prioritize safety and transparency from the start,” NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman said in the press release. “NHTSA is using its enforcement authority to ensure operators and manufacturers comply with all legal obligations and work to protect all road users”.

To enhance oversight of the company, NHTSA requires Cruise to report information regarding its operations, including vehicle miles traveled, the number of operating vehicles, and whether those vehicles are operating without a driver.

Cruise will also be required to summarize software updates that may affect autonomous driving systems, report any violations or citations related to traffic laws, and provide a framework for assessing the safety of its operations.

NHTSA will meet quarterly with Cruise to discuss the state of operations, review reporting, and assess progress on the requirements outlined in the consent order.

The company also has to submit a final report detailing compliance with the consent order and the state of operations 90 days before the end of the base term, which is currently set for two years but may be extended to three if necessary.