NHTSA opens probe into GM's autonomous driving technology

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration announced Thursday that it is opening an investigation into the self-driving technology behind General Motors' robotaxi fleet. This announcement follows three reported accidents allegedly caused by Cruise vehicles braking hard or otherwise becoming immobilized in traffic, creating unannounced obstacles for other vehicles and resulting in rear-end collisions with other motorists. "With respect to the incidents of hard braking, NHTSA has received three reports of the ADS initiating a hard braking maneuver in response to another road user that was quickly approaching from the rear," the agency reports, noting that human supervisors were aboard for each incident. "In each case, the other road user subsequently struck the rear of the ADS-equipped vehicle." "With respect to the incidents of vehicle immobilization, NHTSA has been notified of multiple reports involving Cruise ADS equipped vehicles, operating without onboard human supervision, becoming immobilized," the report continues.