NHTSA Opens Probe into Cruise Autonomous Vehicles After Incident Involving Window Shattering

In October 2023, NHTSA opened investigation PE23-018 into General Motors' Cruise automated driving system vehicles following a series of incidents that drew intense public and regulatory scrutiny. The investigation, opened October 16, 2023, was prompted by both social media reports and standard general-order monitoring.

The incidents that drove PE23-018 included a serious pedestrian injury in San Francisco where a Cruise robotaxi struck a pedestrian who had already been hit by another vehicle and then dragged the person further before stopping. In a separate earlier incident, San Francisco firefighters smashed the window of a driverless Cruise taxi to gain access during an emergency, highlighting a safety protocol gap for first responders.

The window-smashing incident was particularly relevant to glass shops from a technical standpoint. Emergency responders who encounter autonomous vehicles — whose occupants may be incapacitated or absent — face the same glass-access question that responders have always faced with conventional vehicles: how do you get through the glass quickly and safely? Standard rescuer tools like window-punch breakers work on the side-door tempered glass of conventional vehicles, but autonomous vehicles may carry different glass specifications or protective coatings.

NHTSA's investigation into Cruise reflected the growing regulatory attention to how autonomous vehicles interact with emergency services — including the ability of firefighters and police to access and immobilize AVs. For the glass industry, the Cruise incidents added another dimension to the AV-safety discussion: what standards should govern AV glass from an emergency-access perspective?

Cruise ultimately suspended its driverless operations following the October 2023 incidents and NHTSA investigation. The company's parent, General Motors, undertook a significant operational review. The episode served as a high-profile example of how autonomous vehicle incidents generate regulatory consequences that extend well beyond the specific technical failure.

For auto-glass shops that anticipate serving EV and AV fleets as those markets develop, the Cruise incidents reinforced the importance of staying current on the specialized glass and emergency-access specifications that AV manufacturers may adopt.