WASHINGTON U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Monday the federal government will do "everything we can" using existing regulatory powers to ensure General Motors robotaxi unit Cruise and other autonomous vehicles are deployed safely.

Cruise pulled all of its vehicles from U.S. testing after an Oct. 2 accident in San Francisco that involved another vehicle and ended with one of Cruise's self-driving taxis dragging a pedestrian. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into whether Cruise is taking sufficient precautions to safeguard pedestrians.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)