Photo: Uber/Volvo
Back in 2016, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey invited Uber and its self-driving vehicles to his state, welcoming the cars “with open arms and wide open roads.” Now, following the fatal crash last week, roads are closed and arms are crossed.
According to CNBC, in a letter sent to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, the Governor informed the company of his decision to suspend “Uber's ability to test and operate autonomous vehicles on Arizona's public roadways."
Although it’s not entirely clear whether the decision might be reversed should the results of the investigation find the company and its car not to be at fault, chances are Uber’s autonomous machines will never return to what has become in recent years their home state.
Last week, a self-driving Volvo XC90 struck a woman in a city of Tempe, Arizona. As a result of her injuries, the woman later died at the hospital, becoming the first pedestrian to be killed in a crash involving a self-driving vehicle.
In-car video released by the police a few days later shows how the 49-year old victim appear out of nowhere in the middle of the road, pushing a bicycle. There’s seems to be no attempt made by the vehicle to stop.
Police are inclined to blame the victim for the crash, saying “it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any mode based on how she came from the shadows right into the roadway.”
Even so, Uber suspended self-driving operations in all locations and has not resumed them yet.
Smelling blood, IT giant Intel, through its driver-assistance software company Mobileye, said that despite adverse conditions, its systems could have detected the pedestrian one second before the impact occurred.
It’s unclear whether that would have given the car enough time to avoid or at least mitigate the impact.
Although it’s not entirely clear whether the decision might be reversed should the results of the investigation find the company and its car not to be at fault, chances are Uber’s autonomous machines will never return to what has become in recent years their home state.
Last week, a self-driving Volvo XC90 struck a woman in a city of Tempe, Arizona. As a result of her injuries, the woman later died at the hospital, becoming the first pedestrian to be killed in a crash involving a self-driving vehicle.
In-car video released by the police a few days later shows how the 49-year old victim appear out of nowhere in the middle of the road, pushing a bicycle. There’s seems to be no attempt made by the vehicle to stop.
Police are inclined to blame the victim for the crash, saying “it would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any mode based on how she came from the shadows right into the roadway.”
Even so, Uber suspended self-driving operations in all locations and has not resumed them yet.
Smelling blood, IT giant Intel, through its driver-assistance software company Mobileye, said that despite adverse conditions, its systems could have detected the pedestrian one second before the impact occurred.
It’s unclear whether that would have given the car enough time to avoid or at least mitigate the impact.
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