Bay Area Welcomes Return of Cruise Robotaxis One Year After Pedestrian Crash

Cruise, the self-driving subsidiary of General Motors, has resumed operations in the Bay Area nearly a year after a significant accident involving one of its autonomous vehicles. The incident, which took place in October 2023, involved a Cruise robotaxi dragging a pedestrian who had already been struck by a human-driven vehicle into its path. This led to a suspension of Cruise's operations as regulators closely scrutinized the company's safety protocols.

Now, Cruise is making a gradual return to the roads of Sunnyvale and Mountain View. Initially, the company is deploying human-driven vehicles to map the area. Plans are in place to resume supervised testing with autonomous vehicles later this year. Cruise emphasized that this return is essential for research and development purposes, allowing local employees to refine the technology further while adhering to California's regulatory frameworks.

The return marks a new phase for the company, which has restructured its leadership since the accident. Marc Whitten, a former Amazon executive, was appointed CEO in 2024, alongside other key hires focused on safety improvements. While Cruise is working to regain public and regulatory trust, it is also expanding its autonomous taxi services in cities like Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix.