California Bans Cruise Robotaxis In San Francisco Over Safety Concerns

Photo: Justin Sullivan / Staff (Getty Images)

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has banned General Motors’ Cruise robotaxis from operating in San Francisco. The suspension goes into effect immediately and only applies to Cruise vehicles that don’t include a human driver. Self-driving prototypes with a monitor behind the wheel will still be allowed to operate.

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While it’s likely not a permanent ban, the DMV said it doesn’t have a set date for when it will allow Cruise robotaxis to begin operating again, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. It also said it came to this decision because “the manufacturer’s vehicles are not safe for the public’s operation” and that it had already told Cruise “the steps needed to apply to reinstate its suspended permits.”

This decision comes less than a month after a driver in San Francisco hit a pedestrian who was thrown into the path of a Cruise robotaxi that ran her over and then stopped, pinning her underneath until firefighters were able to lift the Cruise off of the woman. The driver who originally hit her fled the scene, and the woman was taken to the hospital with multiple serious injuries.

That’s not the only problem Cruise robotaxis have created in San Francisco, either. They’ve also been known to block traffic, have driven into wet cement, killed a dog, caused problems for emergency vehicles and have generally been a nuisance around town. San Francisco residents have even taken to using traffic cones to stop Cruise robotaxis in their path. But don’t worry, they promise they’re going to do better.

On a lighter note, they have also, apparently, attracted risk-seeking lovers who enjoy the thrill of playing hide the hog in the back seat. We tried our hardest to find someone who would admit to hooking up in a Waymo robotaxi, which also operates in San Francisco but to no avail. Apparently, people just prefer going for a Cruise when they’re feeling randy.