Sunday, March 31, 2024

California DMV suspends permits for Cruise driverless robotaxis CBS San Francisco

cruise california dmv

The DMV said in its order of suspension that the Cruise automobile came to a complete stop but "subsequently attempted to perform a pullover maneuver while the pedestrian was underneath the vehicle." "What we have seen is that Cruise has not done such safety stand downs voluntarily," Koopman told CNBC. "Rather CA DMV has forced them do safety stand downs — once after the fire truck crash with a reduction in the size of the operational fleet, and now after this pedestrian crash." "Our teams are currently doing an analysis to identify potential enhancements to the AV's response to this kind of extremely rare event," the company went on to say. Cruise said the company had shared information with the DMV, CPUC and NHTSA, including video. City officials criticized the move and asked the CPUC to pause the authorization in favor of an incremental approach, amid reports of the vehicles making wrong turns, stalling in the middle of the road and interfering with first responders.

Autonomous Vehicles

This is a challenge, because vehicles don’t have sensors under the car, and any visual sensors there would quickly get dirty. Ultrasonic sensors could help detect this, but otherwise the detection must come from implied clues, such as a change in the driving characteristics, the bumps of driving over something (or someone) and the disappearance of anything under the car without its reappearance. Side LIDAR can detect anything not completely under the vehicle but that can’t be depended on. With some irony, I wrote about this problem just a few days before this incident as well. Obviously it’s a terrible scenario to be prevented, but it’s also in the class of special situation where the behavior is very non-human and in a frightening way.

Congress puts TikTok divest-or-ban bill on fast track, could become law in days

The additional video was given to the DMV after a request was made, and they received it on Oct. 13. Following the CPUC's decision, Cruise agreed to a request by the DMV to cut their fleet of robotaxis in the city in half after two crashes, one of which involved an emergency vehicle. Generally, in chain-reaction road incidents, legal fault goes to the party that started the chain. In this case, however, the Cruise made an error after everything had stopped, which may arguably break that chain, though it would never be in that situation without the hit-and-run. The DMV’s concern could lie in the fact that this might happen even if the Cruise itself had first struck the pedestrian.

Massive expansion of driverless robotaxis approved for San Francisco despite public safety concerns

“San Francisco has long held that Cruise vehicles were not ready for prime time and the state should have never allowed their unlimited deployment in the first place,” he added. “Shortly after the incident, our team proactively shared information with the California DMV, CPUC, and NHTSA, including the full video,” Forghani continued. This suspension comes one week after the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration said it was investigating the company following two incident reports of injuring pedestrians. However, the DMV in its Order of Suspension said Cruise failed to hand over video that showed what the car did after the initial stop. According to the letter, Cruise did not submit the entirety of the footage when the California Highway Patrol and DMV opened their investigation on October 3. The latter half was only released after the DMV learned from another government agency that the Cruise AV continued to drive after initially stopping.

Online Testing

U.S. customers can buy a yearly subscription of Drive Pilot in 2024 EQS sedans and S-Class car models for $2,500. Mercedes began selling level 3-enabled cars in its home country of Germany in May 2022. The European packages cost 5,000 to 7,000 euros ($5,300 and $7,500) for a three-year membership.

California halts operations of Cruise self-driving robotaxis - NBC News

California halts operations of Cruise self-driving robotaxis.

Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

A ‘cold-blooded killer’ called Smiley haunted L.A. for 14 years. How he finally faced justice

AVs registered in California traveled approximately 1.99 million miles in autonomous mode on public roads in 2020. The total miles driven by Waymo and Cruise, 1.39 million, is 70 percent of the total autonomous miles driven in California in 2020. Driverless cars run by Cruise, which is owned by GM, and Waymo, which is owned by Alphabet, have been involved in numerous mishaps in the city over the past several months. The suspension does not affect Waymo, the other company with a permit for a driverless taxi fleet.

California DMV Halts Cruise’s Self-Driving Robotaxis Statewide

California DMV Halts Cruise's Self-Driving Robotaxis Statewide - Forbes

California DMV Halts Cruise's Self-Driving Robotaxis Statewide.

Posted: Tue, 24 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

"These are problems that we had been warning them about for a long time," John Bouchard of Teamsters Local 350 told CBS News Bay Area. "If they would have listened to us in the first place, or engaged with us, or engaged with city officials before they were making those decisions, things would have turned out very differently." The DMV said the Cruise vehicle tried to do a pullover maneuver while the victim was underneath the car, and they only learned about it from another department.

Vehicle Industry Svcs. Resources

cruise california dmv

They have also been involved in a number of minor fender benders and rear-end collisions that have some residents worried about escalation as more are deployed. Following the incident, the National Highway Traffic Safety opened a safety investigation to determine whether Cruise’s driverless vehicles pose a risk to pedestrians. The company’s AVs are “encroaching” on pedestrians in crosswalks and elsewhere and could pose a risk to their safety, the agency said in its report.

California Says Cruise Lied About Robotaxi Crash Footage, Suspends Operations

It should be noted that NHTSA opened its own investigation into Cruise’s autonomous vehicle system following several incidents involving pedestrians in San Francisco, including the October 2 event. Cruise had already been under investigation by federal and state transportation officials after several crashes, some involving pedestrians. In response to the Department of Motor Vehicles’ decision, Cruise pulled its driverless vehicles from the road in California. "When there is an unreasonable risk to public safety, the DMV can immediately suspend or revoke permits," the DMV wrote in a statement. The luxury automaker has become the first in the nation to start selling self-driving cars—at least those that afford riders a hands-free experience—to regular consumers. As of April 11, there were 65 Mercedes autonomous vehicles available for sale in California, Fortune has learned through an open records request submitted to the state’s DMV.

California and Nevada are the only two states where the company can legally sell the technology to consumers. The two state DMVs gave Mercedes approval to begin selling the cars last year—Nevada in January, and California in June. Mercedes announced in September its plans to begin sales, but this is the first news of the cars actually reaching consumers. The next time you’re traveling on the interstate and see a fellow driver whose hands are full with everything but the wheel—scrolling TikTok, applying mascara, eating breakfast—don’t panic. It’s all legal in certain states, as long as they’re in a new Mercedes with autonomous driving technology.

The roughly 20 second clip ended just after the Cruise vehicle came to a complete stop after striking the pedestrian. Neither the video nor Cruise's description of the incident at the time included any reference to the "pullover maneuver" that resulted in the vehicle dragging the pedestrian along a normally busy street within downtown San Francisco. In fact, a spokesperson for the company says the entire clip of the accident, including the portion showing the Cruise car dragging the pedestrian, was shown to DMV officials several times on Oct. 3, just one day after the accident. Cruise says several days later, when the DMV requested a copy of the video, Cruise provided DMV officials with the very same video it had shown DMV investigators just ten days earlier. It’s likely to conclude that the software in the Cruise vehicle was unaware the pedestrian was being dragged by their vehicle, as it seems unlikely the system would wish to get out of the lane in that situation. It’s possible that the vehicle’s urge to clear the lane relates to the number of complaints that have been lodged about Cruise vehicles blocking lanes, which would be a tragic irony.

As of earlier this year, the company was losing nearly $7 million a day, according to GM’s earnings report. Following the incident, Cruise reached out to several government agencies, including the California DMV, the California Public Utilities Commission that regulates commercial ridehail, and NHTSA. The company shared the video from its vehicle of the incident with investigators and is answering their questions, Lindow said.

Cruising Message Boards Cruise Forums

cruise critic message board forums

Cruise Critic’s Message Boards are the place to start. Consider sharing your journey with your fellow Cruise Critic members as-it-happens by posting a live thread detailing your cruise. Individual forums are available for every major cruise line, from German-language brand AIDA Cruises to adult-only newcomer Virgin Voyages.

We would love to have you subscribe for travel updates, news and great offers directly from the cruise lines!

Our editorial staff maintains a presence on the boards as well and try to answer questions about upcoming trips we have. (I got my start on Cruise Critic in 2005 – as a community member as well – before embarking on a career in cruise journalism). Looking to plan your first-ever cruise, or simply curious about a ship you’ve never tried, a line you’ve never sailed or an itinerary you’ve been interested in?

cruise critic message board forums

Make the Most of Cruise Critic’s Message Boards to Plan Your Cruise

You can read any board you’d like simply by signing up to become a member and can post and ask questions anywhere you’d like. How do you get the most out of Cruise Critic’s cruise message boards? All Things Cruise is dedicated to the joy of travel.

Use Cruise Critic’s Roll Calls to Connect Before Your Sailing

Cruise forums are a great place to ask questions and share information directly with other cruisers. Usually organized by cruise lines, you can often get very specific information about details on a particular cruise ship from someone who has just sailed. Not only are these threads hugely informative (and tremendous fun for the armchair cruiser), they’re one of the things that Cruise Critic’s members do best. Some of the most detailed threads even start long before departure, and can give members a look at a new ship or an unusual itinerary, like a 77-day voyage aboard Holland America’s Volendam with member WCB, or member kwokpot’s 30-day transpacific crossing aboard Carnival Luminosa from Seattle to Brisbane. In addition to asking questions, you can also use Cruise Critic’s unique Roll Call feature to connect with folks onboard the same sailing as you – all before you’ve ever set foot aboard your ship.

cruise critic message board forums

Read thousands of Holland America Cruise Reviews from real cruisers.

A place for experienced and would-be cruisers alike to mingle, share information and ask questions, our Message Boards have roughly 2 million members – a number that continues to grow to this day. All of the content (with the exception of the cruise news) is lovingly hand written by our travel writers.Our journalists may be provided some complimentary products or services in return for their uncensored reviews.If you wish to use this content, please contact us. Receive insider offers directly from the cruise lines.

Allure of the Seas Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review - Cruise Critic

Allure of the Seas Cruise Ship First-hand Expert Review.

Posted: Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:14:39 GMT [source]

Specializing in ocean, river, ultra-luxury, small ship and expedition cruises. Cruise Addicts, founded in 1999, is one of our favorite cruise forums sites. Here you’ll find lots of active discussion boards, as well as videos tips and other information. Our members range from first-time cruisers to veterans with hundreds of sea days under their belts. These include cruisers who almost exclusively sail with a single line, along with those who jump around from ship to ship and line to line. One of Cruise Critic’s defining features since its inception in the late 1990’s has been its Message Boards.

Make the Most of Cruise Critic’s Message Boards to Plan Your Cruise

Main Noodle House Menu New York, NY Restaurant

Table Of Content L3. Bean Curd with Mixed Vegetables Lunch H13. Black Pepper Pork Chop L49. Baby Shrimp with Lemongrass or Basil Pork Egg Fo...