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Cruise vehicles are not the only autonomous vehicles that have been operating on Austin roads. Companies including Waymo and Volkswagen are currently testing such vehicles in Austin. Until autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI shut down last year, Ford and Argo AI were also testing self-driving vehicle technology in Austin including ride-hailing and delivery services.
Cruise AVs Cause Traffic Jam In Austin - GM Authority
Cruise AVs Cause Traffic Jam In Austin.
Posted: Tue, 26 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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(1/3) The most important thing for us right now is to take steps to rebuild public trust. Part of this involves taking a hard look inwards and at how we do work at Cruise, even if it means doing things that are uncomfortable or difficult. Cruise had so many Chevy Bolts, the company ran out of spaces to charge the battery-powered vehicles. Three large propane generators were brought in on trailers to 4716 East Fifth Street near Springdale Avenue.
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It was a crowded, challenging environment; and, there was no pedestrian, vehicle or property damage. To truly grasp the traffic situation, you need to check out the full video from Reddit user u/analkaos posted to r/damnthatsinteresting yesterday. The 48-second clip shows gridlocked traffic on a narrow Austin street dominated by Cruise EVs.
Cruise suspends self-driving car operations in Austin, nationwide
Another incident involving a pedestrian didn’t result in serious injury, the firm said. The fact that they're EVs has nothing to do with how or why they caused a traffic jam. But that hasn't stopped residents from complaining about blocked intersections and interference with emergency services.
What other companies are testing self-driving technology in Austin?
Those who witnessed the traffic jam in Austin report that various Cruise workers attempted to clear the road by operating the vehicles remotely. A spokesperson told The Drive that the issue may have been caused by heavy foot and vehicle traffic. Under a state law that passed in 2017, autonomous vehicles can operate in Texas without a driver inside and can be used on highways as long as they can follow traffic laws. The cars also are required to have insurance like other cars and be equipped with video recording equipment. Manufacturers are considered responsible for any broken laws or collisions.
Self-driving car company Cruise pauses even more operations as it aims to rebuild trust
In a statement Tuesday, Cruise said the hit-and-run incident occurred when a human driver of a Nissan Sentra collided with a pedestrian who was crossing the street against a red light. The decision came two days after the California Department of Motor Vehicles declared Cruise's vehicles unsafe and yanked the the company's driverless testing permits. California also prevents cities from regulating self-driving cars. The actual cause of the jam remains unknown, though it's not uncommon for Cruise vehicles to become stuck and require human intervention—also known as a Vehicle Recovery Event. The individual who posted the photos and videos said they observed the Cruise workers trying to operate the cars via remote control to remediate the situation. A spokesperson hinted that the problem may have been related to pedestrian traffic, though the footage circulating social media does not show an abundance of people nearby during the gridlock.
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Texas does require autonomous vehicle operators to report accidents and incidents with local authorities, and vehicles must be registered. In a statement to KUT, Cruise said it "has consistently cooperated with each of NHTSA’s requests for information," whether cases warrant an investigation or not, and that it would continue to do so. Cruise added that the two incidents account for a sliver of the more than 5 million miles traveled by its driverless vehicles.
Austin residents voice concerns over self-driving cars, city's inability to regulate them - The Daily Texan
Austin residents voice concerns over self-driving cars, city's inability to regulate them.
Posted: Thu, 21 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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As you can see in the video, one of the Cruise vehicles got stuck in an intersection while committing to a turn, thus further congesting traffic in three different directions. "And the fact that it's in a testing phase but there's not the safeguard of a human in the front concerns me." In response to the incident, Cruise issued a statement emphasizing their unwavering commitment to safety.
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The firm behind some of Austin’s ever-present autonomous vehicles is under investigation by federal officials after pedestrians were hit by self-driving cars in San Francisco. Cruise said it was reevaluating its operations and trying to earn public trust after it became the subject of a federal investigation for multiple incidents involving pedestrians in San Francisco. City council members are powerless, and the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department can't really do anything to stop Cruise from operating on its streets.
The reason, according to Cruise, is that its cars are limited to traveling at 25 mph, so its routes are limited to specific roads—like those in residential neighborhoods. “There will be situations where the vehicle will experience something where it’s uncertain of what to do next. So when it doesn’t know what to do, it will default to its safest action, which is pulling over,” he said. Disney Cruises bring every child’s imagination to life and provide an opportunity for the entire family to reconnect and unplug from the chaos of everyday life.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started its investigation Monday, saying that the cars may not be exercising caution around pedestrians. In a statement, a Cruise spokesperson said its safety record is "outperforming" human drivers and that the company is complying with information requests from the federal government. In Austin, the home of vibrant music and innovation, Cruise’s robotaxis became unwitting participants in a traffic congestion incident that has sparked discussions about the readiness of autonomous vehicles and their role in urban mobility. Residents in cities with self-driving car services have occasionally taken matters into their own hands, with some resorting to covering sensors on these electric vehicles with traffic cones, effectively halting their progress.
In December 2022 it began offering driverless ride-hailing services in certain areas of downtown, Central and East Austin between 9 p.m. A day later, a bunch of Cruise robotaxis reportedly created a big traffic jam in The Golden City. “Most of the folks reaching out to us were in downtown, UT,” he said. “Everything from ‘I was a pedestrian, cyclist or in a car myself and a Cruise car almost hit me,’ to ‘a Cruise car has stopped in the middle of an intersection,’ or ‘several cars have stopped.' There was a fear." Self-driving car company Cruise has suspended operations nationwide, including in Austin.
In fact, just have a look at the r/Austin subreddit and you'll quickly see how the self-driving experiment has tested the patience of locals. As self-driving technology continues to evolve, striking the right balance between innovation and public safety remains a paramount challenge for companies like Cruise and the communities they serve. While such actions are certainly not condoned, they underscore the concerns some have about the technology’s reliability and the use of cities as testing grounds for these cutting-edge vehicles. “That tells us the company didn't have enough faith in their own technology to operate in the basic urban driving conditions humans deal with every single day,” Qadri said.
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