Recently, Uber launched self-driving car testing in the United States, which has already had to be suspended due to a fatal accident. In Arizona, a company-owned self-driving car hit and killed a cyclist who was crossing a road. Due to incompatible injuries, the woman later died in the hospital, according to local media.
The collision took place at 22:00 local time. A woman with a bicycle crossed the road outside the pedestrian crossing, but at the same time walked parallel to it, without stepping on the markings. The Uber was driven by the driver, but the car itself was in "autopilot" mode. According to the established testing rules, when dangerous situations arise on the road, the driver is obliged to take control of the car, taking full control of the vehicle, but for some reason this did not happen. There were no other passengers in the car.
The head of Uber Dara Khosrowshahi expressed condolences to the relatives of the deceased and noted that the company is working closely with the police and will help in the investigation of the incident.
A year earlier, Uber had suspended testing after one of its cars rolled over during another maneuver. Nobody was hurt that time.
Recall that road accidents involving unmanned vehicles have occurred before. In 2016, a Tesla Model S driver was killed while driving in a car with autopilot on. The driver neglected the instructions and did not follow the road as prescribed.
The press service of Uber said that now testing of cars with autopilot is temporarily suspended in San Francisco, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Toronto.
Viacheslav Larionov