Michael Smith

Transportation and disability advocate. Created and administer the site Robotaxi.rodeo . Co-founded Walk San Francisco (walkSF.org), Swiftly (goSwift.ly), and NextBus (NextBus.com). Working to make transportation accessible and safe for all. Been disabled by serious long COVID since 2022.
  • Joined: 12/17/2023
  • Articles: 51

Cruise Report by Quinn Emanuel Does not Provide Key Details to Regulators

An analysis by Michael Smith on the Quinn Emanuel Report (QER) on the October 2nd, 2023 crash where a pedestrian was dragged and seriously injured. The report was commissioned by Cruise to determine what went wrong and how to address the problems, both technical and operational. But the QER failed to address the most important issues and is therefore not an indication that Cruise is moving forward with improving safety.
Read MoreCruise Report by Quinn Emanuel Does not Provide Key Details to Regulators

Cruise hits, runs over, and drags pedestrian, severely injuring them

Detailed crash analysis (completed 1/23/2024, before Quinn report was made available): On 10/2/23 a pedestrian in San Francisco crossed 5th Street at Market Street in the crosswalk as the light turned red. The pedestrian was first hit by a human-driven vehicle, remained on the hood for a distance, and then fell into the adjacent lane. A Cruise robotaxi in the adjacent lane hit the pedestrian and stopped. The Cruise vehicle then proceeded another 20 feet, dragging the pedestrian underneath the vehicle. The pedestrian was severely injured by the Cruise robotaxi. Regulators shut down Cruise service for providing misinformation.
Read MoreCruise hits, runs over, and drags pedestrian, severely injuring them