Uber self-driving vehicle has struck and killed a woman crossing the street in Tempe, Arizona. The crash appears to be the first time, by a self-driving vehicle.
It’s the first incident and will certainly be inspected so that no other autonomous vehicle accidents take place.
Uber response to the Accident
In response, Uber has pulled off its self-driving vehicles from the Phoenix metro area, San Francisco, Toronto, and Pittsburgh. A spokesperson says the company is cooperating with local authorities, the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are sending investigative teams to Tempe.
Self-driving vehicles don’t need any sort of special permit, just a standard vehicle registration. And their operators don’t have to share any information about what they’re doing with the authorities.
The companies are in the await legislation that would put the federal government firmly in charge of all autonomous vehicle design, construction, and performance, and allow even more testing—as many as 100,000 vehicles per manufacturer—all over the country. The Self Drive Act, passed in the House this fall, but the companion Senate bill, the AV Start Act, has been held up by a few senators who wonder whether the young technology needs more aggressive oversight.
Earlier this month Arizona Governor Steve Ducey signed an agreement giving companies permission to test or operate fully driverless vehicles in the state.
