US probes GM's Cruise robocars over pedestrian close calls

FILE PHOTO: A Cruise self-driving car, which is owned by General Motors Corp, is seen outside the company’s headquarters in San Francisco where it does most of its testing, in California, U.S., September 26, 2018. REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File Photo

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -General Motors’ autonomous vehicle unit, Cruise, is facing multiple federal investigations over its cars’ safety, including two incidents where the robot cars appeared not to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks, according to a U.S. regulator's letter released on Friday.

Cruise autonomous cars "may not be exercising appropriate caution around pedestrians in the roadway," according to the letter dated Oct. 20 from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "This vehicle behavior could increase the risk of a collision with a pedestrian which in turn may result in injury or death."