Cruise, in a statement, expressed concern for the injured woman and stated that their AV had braked aggressively to minimize the impact after the pedestrian was launched in front of it by the initial collision. The company is working with police to identify the driver who fled the scene. The incident has raised questions about how AVs should react in such situations. Meanwhile, local authorities are pushing back against the expansion of autonomous taxi services in San Francisco, citing concerns about AVs obstructing traffic and emergency services.
Key takeaways:
- A pedestrian was struck by a human-driven car and subsequently knocked into the path of a Cruise autonomous vehicle (AV) in San Francisco. The woman was trapped under the AV and suffered multiple traumatic injuries.
- The Cruise AV stopped and turned on its hazard lights after the collision. The company shared dashcam footage with local reporters and issued a statement expressing concern for the injured pedestrian and commitment to assist the police in identifying the driver who fled the scene.
- There is ongoing debate about the safety and reliability of AVs, with concerns raised by House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Kevin Mullin about how data on AVs is tracked and how they react in complex real-world situations.
- The CA Public Utilities Commission recently allowed Cruise and its competitor Waymo to expand taxi services in San Francisco without limits. However, following several incidents, the CA DMV ordered Cruise to cut the size of its AV fleet in San Francisco by half.