Why Cybersecurity Matters: An Overview of the Irish and European Context
04/10/2023Cruise robotaxi involved in a hit-and-run accident in San Francisco
Credit@
A woman was critically injured after being hit by a car and then pinned under a Cruise robotaxi in San Francisco on Monday night. The incident raised questions about the safety of autonomous vehicles on public roads.
According to video footage and eyewitness accounts, the woman was walking in a crosswalk at Market and Fifth when she was struck by a green car, which fled the scene. The impact launched her in front of a Cruise driverless taxi, which was proceeding through a green light. The robotaxi braked aggressively but could not avoid running over her leg and stopping on top of it.
The woman was screaming in pain as bystanders tried to comfort her and call for help. Firefighters arrived and used the jaws of life to lift the car off her. She was transported to San Francisco General Hospital with multiple traumatic injuries.
Cruise, the self-driving car business owned by General Motors, said that there were no passengers in the robotaxi, which was in autonomous mode. The company expressed its concern for the well-being of the woman and said it was working with the police to identify the responsible driver of the other car.
Cruise was swift on the response and wrote on X social media account:
At approximately 9:30 pm on October 2, a human-driven vehicle struck a pedestrian while traveling in the lane immediately to the left of a Cruise AV. The initial impact was severe and launched the pedestrian directly in front of the AV.
The AV then braked aggressively to minimize the impact. The driver of the other vehicle fled the scene, and at the request of the police the AV was kept in place.
Our heartfelt concern and focus is the wellbeing of the person who was injured and we are actively working with police to help identify the responsible driver.
The accident occurred as driverless taxis have expanded their reach in the city. Cruise and Waymo, a unit of Google-parent Alphabet, got approval from California regulators this year to operate and charge fares for fully autonomous cars in San Francisco at any time of the day.
However, the driverless cars have also been involved in several problematic incidents, such as colliding with emergency vehicles, blocking traffic lanes, or interfering with police or firefighter operations.
Some critics have called robotaxis unsafe and unregulated, while others have praised them as solutions to climate change, road rage, and mobility issues.
