--- title: "Self-Driving Car Plowed Into Active Fire Scene, Forcing Firefighters to Smash Its Window" description: "A driverless Cruise car plowed into an active firefighting scene in San Francisco last month and didn't stop until firefighters smashed its front window." date: "2023-02-03" modified: "2023-02-03" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/self-driving-car-plowed-into-active-fire-scene" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Self-Driving Vehicles" tags: - "cruise" - "driverless cars" - "san francisco" - "the digest" - "waymo" --- # Self-Driving Car Plowed Into Active Fire Scene, Forcing Firefighters to Smash Its Window ![A driverless Cruise car plowed into an active firefighting scene in San Francisco last month and didn't stop until firefighters smashed its front window.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Inappropriate Visit A driverless GM Cruise car plowed into an active firefighting scene in San Francisco last month, and didn't come to a halt until firefighters smashed its front window, the [*San Francisco Chronicle* reports](). It's yet another hair-raising incident that highlights the dangers of letting autonomous vehicles roam free in a crowded urban environment. City officials are now warning that incidents like this one "could increase very significantly" in the city, according to the report, if Cruise and its competitors like Waymo are allowed to expand their services in the city. ## Blocking Lanes It's already a growing problem. According to a [January 25 letter]() sent to California Public Utilities Commission by the city's transportation authority, there were at least "92 unique incidents reported to the City between May 29, and December 31, 2022," involving Cruise autonomous vehicles. Other incidents involved Cruise vehicles blocking intersections, bus lanes, and light-rail tracks, according to the *Chronicle*, as well as several near misses that could've easily ended in a collision. State regulators are currently considering whether Cruise is allowed to start charging for rides in San Francisco without any geolocation restrictions. As of right now, the General Motors-owned company can charge fares in roughly a third of the city's streets between 10 am and 6 pm. Competitor Waymo also [received permission last year]() to start testing driverless cars in the Bay Area city and is applying for permits to charge fares as well. Despite the dozens of incidents, Cruise claims it has a proven safety record after covering "millions of miles in an extremely complex urban environment with zero life-threatening injuries or fatalities," as one spokesperson told the *Chronicle*. Officials, however, faced with a growing problem, are worried about future incidents, that not only could disrupt bus and rail services, but pose a real risk to residents as well. **READ MORE:** [Self-driving cars are causing mayhem on S.F. streets, officials say. Will their expansion be restricted?]() \[*San Francisco Chronicle*\] **More on Cruise:** *[Feds Reportedly Investigating Driverless Taxis After They Wreak Havoc in San Francisco]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()