GM subsidiary Cruise LLC announced it will voluntarily recall 950 of its self-driving vehicles, representing its entire fleet, on Wednesday to address issues with collision detection systems.
The recall comes after an October 2 incident in which a Cruise autonomous vehicle struck and dragged a pedestrian in San Francisco. According to Cruise, the collision occurred when a human-driven car hit the pedestrian first, pushing them into the path of the self-driving Cruise vehicle. The Cruise car stopped briefly after impact but then moved forward to pull over, dragging the woman 20 feet.
After an internal review, Cruise says it determined the AV Collision Detection Subsystem failed to respond properly. A new software update was developed to prevent similar incidents. The update will undergo testing before unsupervised operations resume.
The California DMV revoked Cruise's driverless testing permits last month, citing public safety risks with no timeline for reinstatement given. The California Public Utilities Commission in October also suspended Cruise’s authority to carry and charge passengers for its robotaxi service.
Alongside the recall, Cruise announced new safety initiatives like establishing a Chief Safety Officer role and retaining outside experts to analyze the October crash. The company has appointed its vice president of safety and systems, Louise Zhang, to serve in the role in the interim while it searches for a permanent candidate.
The company's board has also retained the law firm Quinn Emanuel to look into the October 2 incident, particularly Cruise's interactions with law enforcement, regulators and the media.
"We are dedicated to building a better Cruise, and these initial actions are just some of the steps we’re taking as we listen, learn, and improve," Cruise said in the blog post. "We are committed to keeping our customers, regulators, and the public informed throughout this process."
