Uber suspends self-driving vehicle test programme
Uber has suspended its road testing programmes for self-driving vehicles, following an accident which resulted in the death of a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona.
Programmes in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Phoenix and Toronto have all been paused while the incident is investigated.
According to local reports, the accident occurred at around 10 p.m. on Sunday. There was a vehicle operator in the car but no passengers.
A year ago, Uber suspended its self-driving programme following a crash – also in Arizona – which did not result in any serious injuries.
UPDATE:
An article published by the San Francisco Chronicle has quoted Sylvia Moir, the police chief in Tempe, as saying: “I suspect preliminarily it appears that the Uber would likely not be at fault in this accident.”
Moir added that, from viewing the footage from the cameras mounted on the Uber car: “It’s very clear it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any kind of mode [autonomous or human-driven] based on how she came from the shadows right into the roadway.”
