Skip to main content

Uber Self-Driving Car Kills Pedestrian


On the night of March 18, a self-driving vehicle struck a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona.

The woman was attempting to cross the street when the crash occurred, and passed away after being transported to a local medical facility.

Though a driver using Tesla's advanced auto-pilot feature passed away in a 2016 crash, this marks the first known pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving vehicle. As a result, Arizona governor Doug Ducey has suspended tests of autonomous cars on the state's roads until further notice.

Emails obtained after the incident suggest the governor was allowing Uber to test their vehicles in the state without informing the public.

Uber executive Lior Ron has stepped down amid the controversy. Even business partners like Nvidia are distancing themselves from Uber because of the accident.

The company is facing flack for reportedly removing several sensors from their self-driving vehicles prior to testing. Though Uber hasn't released an official statement, they've reportedly been cooperating with authorities investigating the crash and have already reached a settlement with the victim's family.

The transportation giant took a big step into the autonomous sector when it purchased self-driving startup Otto back in 2016.

What do you think about self-driving cars? Will Uber and other companies in the autonomous race ever gain mainstream acceptance? Be sure to follow us on Facebook for more news about business and technology!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Top 5 Moments From The Walking Dead S8E14 "Still Gotta Mean Something"

Warning: this blog contains spoilers! A man's word means a lot - but war can change everything.  The gruesome battle at Hilltop left people missing and POWs on the run. As the search ensued, we got some more backstory on enigmatic characters and iconic weapons alike. Here are our picks for the top five moments from this episode! 05. Jadis Cleans Up Well The triple-crossing trash queen showed a different side in this episode. Wearing normal clothes and revealing a spotless dwelling hidden in the heaps, she seems more relatable than ever. There's still something off about her, made obvious by her use of a weaponized walker/cart hybrid. Unfortunately, her well-kempt appearance wasn't enough to get the passing helicopter to land. 04. The Origins of Lucille All those "don't you touch her" lines finally make sense. While in the custody of Jadis, Negan revealed his beloved baseball bat was named after his late wife. By the sound of it, sh

The War Is On! | TWD S8E1 “Mercy” Review & Recap

We wanted war, and we got it. The Walking Dead started season 8 off with a bang, showing Rick and the group taking a calculated, strategic approach to dismantling Negan’s empire. After Daryl gets some intel from Dwight, we see Negan’s lookouts getting picked off one by one. Anticipating that such a loss of ground would result in an investigation, the crew has already rigged up a trap to dismantle the soldiers Negan sent out. The three communities combine their forces, rolling up to The Sanctuary in armored vehicles and packing enough firepower to stand their ground. It’s then the showrunners reference a concept that still doesn’t get the attention it deserves – Negan’s followers. His lieutenants are all given a choice to walk away. They’re all there – Simon, Gavin, Dwight, Eugene and…Regina? Fine, but that fifth spot could’ve gone to Arat, just saying. Rick holds off on the fire fight here because he understands a simple truth that has been

Top 5 Moments From The Walking Dead S8E15 "Worth"

Warning: this blog contains spoilers! Negan is back - and he's cleaning house after being left behind. S8E15 served to remind us of just how formidable the Saviors' leader can be both combatively and tactically. It also reinforced his opinion on traitors. We saw how Rosita and Daryl viewed traitors, too. With the war set to end next episode, has Negan put things in place for a deadly final attack? Check out our picks for the top five moments in "Worth." 5. Rick and Negan Read Carl's Letters Technically Negan had it read to him, but still. Carl asked Rick to make a safe world where people could enjoy normal lives. Carl asked Negan for peace and told him it wasn't too late. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to agree. 4. Dwight Betrays Simon Negan's return shocked many at the Sanctuary, especially the new man-in-charge. Despite being forgiven by Negan for massacring the scavengers, Simon urged Dwight to join him in overthrowing the