Uber closes self-driving car testing operations in Arizona
Uber has permanently shut down its self-driving car testing program in Arizona, US, and as a result, laid off about 300 employees working at the location, most of them being test drivers or "vehicle operators." This comes two months after an autonomous Uber car, while being tested in Tempe, Arizona, killed a pedestrian. Uber has since halted all of its autonomous vehicle testing operations.
Uber still plans to resume AV testing in other states
However, the company plans to resume its self-driving car testing operations in other locations like Pittsburgh and San Francisco once the Federal investigation into the Arizona crash is complete and the US government lifts the indefinite suspension on Uber's AV testing program. But in those locations too, Uber will now "drive in a much more limited way."
Uber had been testing self-driving cars in Arizona since 2016
An Uber spokesperson said, "We're committed to self-driving technology, and we look forward to returning to public roads. In the meantime, we remain focused on our top-to-bottom safety review, having brought on former NTSB Chair Christopher Hart to advise us on our overall safety culture."
All about the fatal Uber crash
Earlier in March, an autonomous Uber car hit a woman crossing the street. The fatal accident resulted in her death. Apparently, the vehicle's software did detect the pedestrian but chose not to slow down. It was highly tuned to ignore false positives, which are objects on the street like plastic bags. This might have been done for increased rider comfort.
The autonomous Uber car had a safety driver inside it
According to rules regarding testing autonomous vehicles on public roads, the car did have a safety driver, Rafaela Vasquez, at the wheel. The accident video showed him looking down for several seconds before the crash. The 44-year-old said that "the first alert to the collision was the sound of the collision." It is unclear whether Vasquez will be legally held responsible for the accident.
The crash is still being investigated
This is the first ever incident of an autonomous vehicle causing human death. Two weeks after the crash, Uber had notably reached a settlement with the family of the 49-year-old victim.
