The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put Cruise, a subsidiary of General Motors, on regulatory notice with a consent order following the company’s failure to fully report a serious crash involving a pedestrian and an autonomous vehicle. According to an announcement made by NHTSA, Cruise vehicles had been involved in a crash on Oct. 2, 2023, where a Cruise-operated ADS vehicle without a driver dragged a pedestrian for about 20 feet before stopping. However, Cruise's submission lacked critical details in reporting this incident, a requirement under the agency's Standing General Order.
Under the terms of the consent order obtained by NHTSA, Cruise is obligated to cough up $1.5 million in penalties. Furthermore, Cruise is tasked to draft a corrective action plan detailing how it intends to better adhere to the crash reporting standards. The Standing General Order mandates that crash reports detail pre-crash, crash, and post-crash specifics within certain timeframes, depending on the crash's severity. Cruise also has the added burden of updating NHTSA on its operational scope, including the number of active vehicles, distance covered, and whether these vehicles operate sans drivers.
"It is vitally important for companies developing automated driving systems to prioritize safety and transparency from the start," NHTSA Deputy Administrator Sophie Shulman remarked, as per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The consent order, she insisted, would reign Cruise in line with its legal obligations, ensuring that the safety of all road users is not taken lightly. This order will span two years, with NHTSA reserving the right to extend it for an additional year if needed.
The consent order demands strict quarterly meetings between Cruise and the NHTSA to discuss operations and compliance progress. Within these reviews is an expectation for Cruise to provide updates on any software changes affecting ADS operations, summaries of detected traffic violations, and a rundown of the metrics used to measure their ADS safety performance. Before the order's initial term ends, Cruise must submit a final report detailing its compliance and overall state of operations 90 days prior. Cruise's progress can be followed through these regular reports, which aim to shine a light on the systems operating beneath the city's seemingly calm traffic currents.