The General Motors (GM) self-driving unit Cruise has announced plans to resume driver-operated vehicle testing in Arizona. This decision comes after an accident with one of its driverless taxis in October left a pedestrian severely injured. Cruise stated that it will resume manual driving to create maps and gather road information in select cities, starting in Phoenix.
This work will be done using human-driven vehicles without autonomous systems engaged and is deemed a critical step for validating the company’s self-driving systems as they work towards returning to their driverless mission. The company is reintroducing a small fleet of human-driven vehicles in select cities with the intention of eventually re-introducing driverless vehicles. Cruise emphasizes that this testing will help inform where they will ultimately resume driverless operations and indicates a desire for close collaboration with a city.
Despite the lack of response from the CPUC at the time of writing, Cruise is committed to re-launching its driverless taxi operations as safely as possible, as emphasized by GM CEO Mary Barra during a call with investors. Barra stated that Cruise is dedicated to earning back the trust of regulators and the public through its commitments and actions. The company’s decision to resume driver-operated vehicle testing in Arizona raises questions about the safety and effectiveness of its self-driving technology.
This move seems to be a strategic step towards reinstating trust in their autonomous systems, but it also highlights the need for thorough testing and validation before resuming fully driverless operations. It will be important to monitor Cruise’s progress in this endeavor and to see how they address the concerns and ensure the safety of their self-driving technology.