Robotaxi Delays City Response in Fire Truck Accident

 An electric robotaxi reportedly crashed into a city response vehicle Thursday night in San Francisco, injuring a passenger and sparking a debate about the safety of autonomous vehicles.

GM owned transportation tech company Cruise posted an X thread about the incident stating

“One of our cars entered the intersection on a green light and was struck by an emergency vehicle that appeared to be en route to an emergency scene. Our car contained one passenger who was treated on scene and transported via ambulance for what we believe are non-severe injuries.”

Tech Crunch reported on the California Department of Motor Vehicles’ response to the crash, reducing the fleet of Cruise robotaxis by 50%.

A blog post on the Cruise company website stated:

"The AV positively identified the emergency vehicle almost immediately as it came into view, which is consistent with our underlying safety design and expectation. It is worth noting, however, that the confines of this specific intersection make visual identification more challenging – for humans and AVs alike – as it is significantly occluded by buildings, meaning that it is not possible to see objects around the corner until they are physically very close to the intersection. The AV’s ability to successfully chart the emergency vehicle’s path was complicated by the fact that the emergency vehicle was in the oncoming lane of traffic, which it had moved into to bypass the red light. Cruise AVs have the ability to detect emergency sirens, which increase their ability to operate safely around emergency vehicles and accompanying scenes. In this instance, the AV identified the siren as soon as it was distinguishable from the background noise. The Cruise AV did identify the risk of a collision and initiated a braking maneuver, reducing its speed, but was ultimately unable to avoid the collision.”

The Los Angeles Times weighed in with an editorial that questioned the safety of the "robotaxi revolution"

“Nobody was harmed and the delay was relatively minor. But the incident again raised alarm over the commercial rollout of robotaxis that are still having technical problems, including blocking streets and interfering with emergency responders. What happens if there’s an earthquake that knocks out cell service? Will the streets become clogged by disabled autonomous taxis?”

MIT Technology Review questioned the public safety of unregulated rollouts in a recent op-ed:

“It remains to be seen whether robotaxis are ready for deployment on a significant scale, or what the metric for determining readiness would even be. But barring a significant shift in momentum, like an economic shock, a horrific tragedy, or a dramatic political pivot, robotaxis are positioned to continue their roll. This is enough to warrant a broader discussion of how they will change cities and society.”