The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has concluded its investigation into General Motors’ (GM.N) self-driving unit, Cruise, regarding the safety of its robotaxis and pedestrian protection.
The probe, which was initiated in October 2023, followed five incidents where Cruise vehicles collided with pedestrians, three of which resulted in injuries. NHTSA raised concerns about the vehicle’s ability to avoid collisions in each case, as the Cruise vehicles failed to successfully evade the pedestrians.
NHTSA also highlighted two additional incidents involving Cruise vehicles operating near pedestrians on crosswalks. However, the agency decided to close the investigation, citing GM’s November 2023 recall aimed at addressing safety concerns and the company’s decision to cease Cruise business operations.
GM had previously announced it would stop funding Cruise’s self-driving robotaxi project, after investing more than $10 billion into the unit since 2016. The Cruise operation is being integrated into GM’s broader driver assistance technology group.
In addition to the safety probe, Cruise faced legal repercussions after admitting to submitting a false report to influence a federal investigation. The company agreed to pay a $500,000 criminal fine as part of a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department. The probe focused on a crash in San Francisco in October 2023, where one of Cruise’s robotaxis struck and dragged a pedestrian.
GM subsequently paid a settlement to the woman who was seriously injured in the incident. Following these developments, GM also halted the development of its planned steering-wheel-free Cruise vehicle, following significant cuts and layoffs within the company.
