Autonomous Uber car is punished for stupid human causing accident in Arizona
Uber Technologies Inc. is suspending its self-driving car program after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a high-impact crash in Tempe, Arizona, the latest incident for a company reeling from multiple crises.In a photo posted on Twitter, one of Uber’s Volvo self-driving SUVs is pictured on its side next to another car with dents and smashed windows. An Uber spokeswoman confirmed the incident, and the veracity of the photo, and added that the ride-hailing company is suspending its autonomous tests in Arizona until it completes its investigation and pausing its Pittsburgh operations.
Source: Uber to Suspend Autonomous Tests After Arizona Accident – Bloomberg
Of course, the media jumped on this story and the headlines quickly raised doubts surrounding the safety of having autonomous or driverless cars on the road. And of course social media was on fire with the image of the aftermath of the collision:
But buried in the lead of this story was this sentence:
Authorities in the city tell Bloomberg that the Uber vehicle was not responsible for the crash. A Tempe police information officer says a second vehicle failed to yield to the Uber car, which did have a driver behind the wheel. However, it’s unclear if the driver was controlling the vehicle.
What this story basically tells us is, take the humans out of the equation and this accident probably doesn’t happen. Of course, it does raise the question if the Uber car can file a lawsuit against the human? 🙂
