Uber’s self driving car program in Arizona has suffered a fatal setback after one of its autonomous vehicles hit and killed a female pedestrian.
The woman was crossing the street in Tempe around 10pm last night but wasn’t using a cross walk when the accident occurred.
The incident appears to be the first known death of a pedestrian by an self-driving car. A human safety driver was behind the wheel at the time but Authorities have not publicly identified the victim yet.
Uber has suspended its self-driving fleets in Arizona, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto.
“Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in their investigation of this incident,” an Uber spokeswoman, Sarah Abboud, said in a statement to tohe New York Times.
Apple and pretty much every other big tech company are pursuing self-driving technology. Tim Cook has said he views self-driving cars as the mother of all A.I. problems.
The company currently has its own self-driving fleet in testing in San Francisco. Uber’s accident will certainly raise questions on the safety of self-driving cars for riders and pedestrians
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
