California regulators are alleging a San Francisco robotaxi service owned by General Motors covered up the severity of an accident involving one of its driverless cars, raising the specter they may add a fine to the recent suspension of its California license.

The potential penalty facing GM’s Cruise service could be around $1.5 million, based on documents filed late last week by the California Public Utilities Commission.

The notice orders Cruise to appear at a Feb. 6 evidentiary hearing to determine whether the robotaxi service misled regulators about what happened after one of its driverless cars ran into a pedestrian who had already been struck by another vehicle driven by a human on the evening of Oct. 2 in San Francisco.

The February hearing comes just six months after the commission authorized Cruise’s robotaxi service to begin charging passengers for around-the-clock rides throughout San Francisco despite strident objections from city officials who warned the driverless cars malfunctioned.

Three weeks after Cruise’s Oct. 2 accident, the California Department of Motor Vehicles effectively shut down the robotaxi service by suspending its license to operate in the state.

The suspension was a major blow for Cruise and its corporate parent GM, which absorbed huge losses during the development of the driverless service that was supposed to generate $1 billion in revenue by 2025 as it expanded beyond San Francisco.

After losing nearly $6 billion since the end of 2019, Cruise has shifted into reverse as it scrambles to control the fallout from the Oct. 2 accident that critically injured the run-over pedestrian and led to the recent resignation of CEO and co-founder Kyle Vogt.

Without directly addressing the potential fine, GM CEO Mary Barra said Monday that the October crash has helped the automaker learn more about the need for transparency and a better relationship with regulators.

“We’re very focused on righting the ship here because this is technology that can make the way we move from point A to point B safer,” Barra told a gathering of automotive media.

Barra also pointed to the overhaul of Cruise’s management that included a reorganization of its government-relations and legal teams as signs of progress. “We think we can do things more effectively,” she said.

Cruise issued its own statement pledging to respond “in a timely manner” to the Public Utilities Commission’s concerns. The company has already hired an outside law firm to scrutinize its response to the Oct. 2 accident.

The most serious questions about the incident concern Cruise’s handling of a video showing a robotaxi named “Panini” dragging the pedestrian 20 feet (6 meters) at a speed of seven miles per hour before coming to the stop.

In a Dec. 1 filing recounting how Cruise handled disclosures about the accident, the Public Utilities Commission asserted the company tried to conceal how its robotaxi reacted to the accident for more than two weeks.

The documents allege Cruise’s concealment started with an Oct. 3 phone call to a regulatory analyst who was told the robotaxi had come to an immediate stop upon impact with the pedestrian without mentioning the vehicle actually drove another 20 feet with the injured person still pinned down.

Cruise didn’t provide the video footage until Oct. 19, according to the regulatory filing. The cover-up spanned 15 days, according to the PUC, exposing Cruise and GM to potential fines of $100,000 per day, or $1.5 million.

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UNITED STATES—The San Francisco area is no stranger to fog. The Bay Area experiences more fog than many other coastal cities, including Los Angeles. On January 20, 2022, a dense blanket of fog enveloped the city and resulted in several serious car accidents. The driving and navigational challenges presented by the fog are often overlooked by stressed drivers.

What happened on January 20th?

On Thursday, January 20th, the dense fog affected morning rush hour traffic. The thick, low clouds reduced visibility to a quarter of a mile or less. When the clouds are so dense, the headlights reflect the driver back. This causes a huge distraction and further reduces visibility. The National Weather Service issued a heavy fog warning. In the recommendation, officials warned commuters not to use their high beams and also advised them to slow down and be extra careful when overtaking. Drivers were also warned to allow more braking distance between their vehicle and the one in front.

Video captures the foggy conditions:

Surveillance photos and video from the Citizen app show that on the morning of January 20, the fog was so dense that headlights bounced off it. This caused the light to bounce back at drivers, limiting their ability to see the road. Poor visibility likely contributed to an accident on the westbound lanes of the Bay Bridge around 6:00 a.m.

Several major accidents affect the Bay Area

The Citizen app also showed reports of several accidents on the highway. One of these collisions occurred on I-80 near 7th Street in the eastbound lanes. Another accident on the ramp from northbound 101 to I-80 disrupted traffic.

Weather Conditions in the Bay Area

According to SFist, the foggy weather started on Wednesday morning, January 19th. It increased Thursday morning and finally cleared Thursday afternoon. The National Weather Service issued heavy fog warnings for both the northern and southern San Francisco Bays. The recommendations also covered areas of the City of San Francisco, the Bay Shoreline, and the North Bay Valley.

California fog driving laws:

Because foggy weather is so common in parts of California, the state has special driving laws that require drivers to take specific actions in these weather conditions. According to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, drivers must adapt their speed to the road conditions. In fog, this means driving slower than the usual speed limit for the respective lane. Lawyers Agree; You can be held liable if you cause an accident in inclement weather, so drivers should only drive at a speed that allows them to maintain control of their vehicle and ensure the safety of others.

The best advice from the California Department of Motor Vehicles for drivers attempting to travel in foggy weather is don’t do it. The department says it’s safest to postpone the trip until the fog clears. If driving is absolutely necessary, drivers should drive slowly, use low beams and turn on windshield wipers to remove condensation. Drivers should avoid high beams as the light reflects off clouds and creates glare.

The Federal Motor Transport Authority also advises against relying solely on the fog lights. Drivers should also increase their following distance and prepare to stop within the visible area in front of them. Drivers should avoid crossing lanes or overtaking other vehicles unless absolutely necessary. In order to keep the windscreen and windows as clear as possible, drivers should use their windscreen wipers and de-icing systems.

When visibility is poor, drivers must use their sense of hearing to drive safely. Motorists should pay attention to traffic they cannot see. This may require turning down the volume of the radio or music until the fog clears.

If the fog thickens so that a driver can only see a few car lengths ahead, consider pulling to the curb or parking in a lot until the fog clears. When a driver moves to the side of the road, they should activate their emergency lights, or “turn signals,” until conditions improve. When re-entering traffic, the driver should turn off their distress signals and use their turn signal to indicate their intention to re-enter traffic.

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