Woman struck and killed by self-driving Uber vehicle
A self-driving Uber vehicle has struck and killed a pedestrian in the first death involving a fully autonomous test vehicle, prompting the ride-hailing company to suspend road-testing of such cars in the US and Canada.
The accident in suburban Phoenix could have far-reaching consequences for the development of self-driving vehicles, which have been billed as potentially safer than cars with humans at the wheel.
The Volvo SUV was in self-driving mode with a human back-up operator behind the wheel on Sunday night in Tempe when a woman walking a bicycle was hit, police said.
Elaine Herzberg, 49, died in hospital.
The scene in Tempe, Arizona (Chris Carlson/AP)
Uber suspended its self-driving vehicle testing in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto.
The testing has been going on for months as car makers and technology companies compete to be the first with cars that operate on their own.
Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi expressed condolences on his Twitter account and said the company is working with local police on the investigation.
Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We’re thinking of the victim’s family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened. https://t.co/cwTCVJjEuz — dara khosrowshahi (@dkhos) March 19, 2018
The National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said they are sending teams to investigate.
The crash could be a setback for autonomous vehicle research and may lead to stricter regulations from states and the federal government, said Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina professor who studies the technology.
But he said more than 100 people die each day on US roads in crashes of human-driven vehicles.
“That’s a real contrast that we should keep in mind about this,” he said. “We should be concerned about automated driving. We should be terrified about human driving.”
Uber suspended its self-driving vehicle testing in the Phoenix area, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto (Eric Risberg/AP)
The federal government has voluntary guidelines for companies that want to test autonomous vehicles, leaving much of the regulation up to states.
Many states, including Michigan and Arizona, have taken a largely hands-off approach, hoping to gain jobs from the new technology, while California and other states have taken a harder line.
California is among states that require manufacturers to report any incidents during the autonomous vehicle testing phase. As of early March, the state’s motor vehicle agency had received 59 such reports.
Arizona governor Doug Ducey used light regulations to entice Uber to the state after the company had a shaky rollout of test cars in San Francisco. Arizona has no reporting requirements.
Hundreds of vehicles with automated driving systems have been on Arizona roads.
Mr Ducey’s office expressed sympathy for Ms Herzberg’s family, and spokesman Patrick Ptak said: “Public safety is our top priority.”
The crash in Arizona is not the first involving an Uber autonomous test vehicle. In March last year, an Uber SUV flipped on to its side, also in Tempe.
No serious injuries were reported, and the driver of the other car was cited for a violation.
Ms Herzberg’s death is the first involving an autonomous test vehicle but not the first in a car with automated control features.
The driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in 2016 when his car, operating on its Autopilot system, crashed into a lorry in Florida.
The NTSB said driver inattention was to blame, not the vehicle’s autopilot system. The agency said car makers should have safeguards that keep drivers engaged.
The Transportation Department is considering further voluntary guidelines it says would help foster innovation. Proposals also are pending in Congress, including one that would stop states from regulating autonomous vehicles, Mr Smith said.
Peter Kurdock, director of regulatory affairs for Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety in Washington, called the Arizona crash tragic.
He said the accident should serve as a “startling reminder” to members of Congress that they need to “think through all the issues to put together the best bill they can to hopefully prevent more of these tragedies from occurring”.