A GM Cruise vehicle interrupted firefighters, delaying them from responding to a fire incident. Because of this, the San Francisco Fire Department (FSSD) is now concerned about the rising number of autonomous taxis in the city. 
(Photo : Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
A Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle sits at an event where Fritz Henderson, CEO and President of General Motors, announced that GM will invest $43 million in Brownstown Township, Michigan to manufacture lithium-ion battery packs for the Chevrolet Volt and other extended-range electric vehicles at the GM Brownstown Battery Assembly facility.
Authorities stated that this is just one of the issues that autonomous vehicles might cause once they further increase in numbers.
"This incident slowed SFFD response to a fire that resulted in property damage and personal injuries," said FSSD via The Wired.
Because the impact of the Cruise vehicle is quite serious, city officials decided to file a complaint to the California Public Utilities Commission.
GM Cruise Vehicle Without Driver Interrupted Fire Men
San Francisco city officials said that FSSD is concerned that the Cruise autonomous vehicles often stop in travel lanes. This was seen in the latest issue that the firemen experienced, especially since any driver did not operate the involved vehicle.
(Photo : Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
A vehicle is welded by robot arms as it goes through the assembly line at the General Motors Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant March 10, 2010 in Lansing, Michigan. The Delta plant has more than 3,000 workers on two shifts and is expected to add a third shift of 900-1,000 workers in April. The plant produces the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and GMC Acadia crossover SUVs.
Also Read: GM Hummer EV: Early Reviews Say the Car is Not Efficient Despite 329 Miles for Premium Trim
Authorities added that driverless cars might further affect the fire department's response time. Of course, a Cruise spokesperson tried to defend their side.
Tiffany Testo explained that their vehicle correctly gave way, providing enough space for the fire truck to maneuver. The company's representative added that FSSD's fire vehicle was able to move forward 25 seconds after encountering their autonomous vehicle.
As of writing, the San Francisco Fire Department requested a meeting with Cruise. If you are one of the concerned residents, you can best wait for their meeting to take place.
Unresolved Autonomous Car Issues
For the past few years, experts said that the full autonomous car industry would not be achieved until all vehicles on the road are driverless.
This is reasonable since autonomous cars will always have an issue if they are combined with other vehicles driven by real individuals.
But, this is just one of the issues that the autonomous car market must solve. GovTech provided other problems that are still faced by driverless cars:
- Lack of proper infrastructure
- Inefficient traffic management
- Social justice and equity
- Liability insurance
- Police and emergency response
On the other hand, GM's billion-dollar investment is expected to boost its EV production.
Meanwhile, GM's new CAM factory is critical for its EV transition.
For more news updates about GM's Cruise vehicles and other driverless cars, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article: GM Sold its Stocks on Lordstown Motors worth $75 Million, But Why?
This article is owned by TechTimes
Written by: Griffin Davis
