AUSTIN, Texas — Austin is now looking into regulating driverless vehicles on city streets.
Concerns over the vehicles driving recklessly through downtown were raised after videos on social media showed cars stopping in the middle of traffic and swerving into bike lanes.
Austin's Downtown Commission met with staff from the driverless rideshare company Cruise on Wednesday. Cruise currently operates at least 50 cars in Austin and just recently launched in Houston after a trial run.
Cruise representatives say they're working to address concerns about things like pedestrian safety, but claim that people often try to test the cars by doing things like jumping in front of them or hitting them, which they say isn't something the technology can plan for.
While the commission avoided making any recommendations during the meeting, its members say they plan to continue those meetings in an effort to address safety in the future.
Meanwhile, the meeting with Cruise comes as federal regulators began an investigation into the company's vehicle following reports that two pedestrians were injured in San Francisco.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) started its investigation Monday, saying that the cars may not be exercising caution around pedestrians. In a statement, a Cruise spokesperson said its safety record is "outperforming" human drivers and that the company is complying with information requests from the federal government.
City data showed more pedestrians and cyclists were killed or seriously injured in crashes in 2022 than in any other recorded year, as they launched "Vision Zero" in an effort to reduce the number of people hurt or killed in crashes.