American autonomous car company Cruise aims to make its technology perform like a “role model driver” through its new safety standards following a high-profile accident involving one of its robotaxis in San Francisco last October 2023.
Cruise seeks to outperform human drivers with new safety standard
Cruise Chief Safety Officer Steve Kenner announced at the recent Automated Road Transportation Symposium that General Motors’ self-driving subsidiary has already updated its safety standards after an accident with a pedestrian in October 2023, according to Automotive News.
“We’re holding ourselves to a bar of ‘role model driver,’ and not just a ‘better-than-average driver.”
Cruise Chief Safety Officer Steve Kenner
Kenner’s supervision is among the changes Cruise has made since last year’s mishap. After serving at Ford’s automotive safety department, he officially joined Cruise in February. He also worked at other major companies before joining Cruise, including Chrysler, GM, and Apple.
“Cruise is a different company today than it was last fall.”
Cruise Chief Safety Officer Steve Kenner
Cruise plans to employ an independent evaluator for a safety inspection before resuming commercial driverless services.
“I want to have a third party engaged in the assessment of our safety case. I do think in terms of building trust and confidence. That’s important.”
Cruise Chief Safety Officer Steve Kenner
Cruise’s mishaps
In October last year, one of Cruise’s robotaxi dragged and pinned a pedestrian who had been initially struck by another human-driven car in October 2023.
Since then, Cruise lost its operating permit in California. In addition, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) contended that the company had “misrepresented” and “omitted” vital details about the case.
The worsening situation prompted two of the company’s founders to resign to show accountability, followed by other executives. The company also initiated a major layoff, affecting approximately a quarter of its workforce in December 2023.
In June, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) demanded a $112,500 maximum penalty from Cruise for delayed reporting about particular case details.
Cruise looks to relaunch driverless service
As part of its efforts to relaunch its driverless service, Cruise announced in February 2024 its plans to halve its spending this year.
The company also hired numerous new executives, including Steve Kenner, to aid the initiative.
Cruise is committed to improving transparency and safety in its operations as it aims to regain the trust of the public.
Cruise launched driver-operated vehicle testing in three US cities in May, amplifying recent reports that suggest the company is planning to restart driverless ride-hailing operations again by the end of this year. To further ensure safety, Cruise joined a new research collaborative led by Mitre to study fleet management of automated vehicles.
