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Final Thursday, March 23, 2023, a Cruise robotaxi, working autonomously and with no driver or passengers within the car, was concerned in a minor accident with a San Francisco Muni bus. Nobody was injured within the incident. Each the Cruise car and Muni bus obtained some damages, with the robotaxi seeming to take the brunt of the impression, in accordance with Forbes.

Whereas there aren’t many particulars concerning the accident, Cruise tweeted the next transient assertion after the incident: “Yesterday, one among our autos made contact with the rear of a Muni bus. No accidents have been reported, and there have been no passengers current within the Cruise AV. We’re investigating the incident and can take follow-up actions if acceptable.”

Robotaxi firms are usually fast to clear issues up if their autos aren’t at fault in incidents. So many are assuming the Cruise robotaxi rear-ended the bus, based mostly partly on Cruise saying within the assertion one among its autos “made contact with the rear of a Muni bus.”

This incident occurred simply days after one other Cruise robotaxi drove by means of warning tape that closed off a highway the place overhead trolley wires had fallen throughout a significant high-wind storm. The car hit the wires which have been powered off on the time. Had the facility traces been stay when the car hit them, the incident may have been a lot worse.

In December, the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) introduced it was opening an investigation into the corporate’s automated driving system. In a submitting, NHSTA stated it was concerned with two completely different points that had been reported to the administration that each end result within the robotaxis changing into hazards for others on the highway. 

NHSTA’s first concern is with the corporate’s robotaxis reportedly braking too arduous in sure circumstances. The administration obtained three studies of a Cruise car braking too arduous in response to a automotive approaching them rapidly from the rear, ensuing within the Cruise car being rear-ended in all three incidents. 

The administration’s second concern is with the robotaxis changing into immobilized on the highway. NHSTA has obtained a number of studies of Cruise autos stalling on the highway, with no human operators current. NHTSA’s Workplace of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary investigation to find out the scope and severity of each points. 

Final week, Cruise filed an software with the California DMV to check its robotaxis statewide. The corporate has been working to develop its providers in a number of areas, together with in Austin and within the suburbs of Phoenix. It’s additionally working to roll out its purpose-built Origin car on public roads in San Francisco. 

Final month, Cruise introduced its totally driverless autos have traveled over a million miles. A majority of Cruise’s totally driverless miles have been pushed in San Francisco, the place the corporate first rolled out its robotaxis in November 2021. 

The Robotic Report reached out to Cruise for particulars on each incidents however hasn’t heard again as of press time. If we do get any extra data, this story will likely be up to date.