Uber has suspended its driverless vehicle testing on public roads in the US after a pedestrian was struck and killed by one of its test cars.
A female pedestrian was killed after being hit by an autonomous Uber vehicle – a specially equipped Volvo XC90 – in Arizona. Uber has pulled all of its self-driving cars from public roads in the state as well as in the cities of San Francisco, Toronto, and Pittsburgh.
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The crash occurred in Tempe, Arizona. The woman was walking across the street when she was hit by the car. The woman was taken to the hospital but died from her injuries. Police have identified her as 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg.
Uber has confirmed the vehicle was travelling in autonomous mode with a safety driver behind the wheel during the crash.
A police statement said Uber is assisting with the investigation.
It is believed to be the first pedestrian death associated with self-driving technology. The accident also serves as a reminder that autonomous drive technology is still very much in the experimental stage with governments grappling with how to regulate it. Last March the company temporarily suspended its self-driving fleet after a Volvo XC90 overturned – although authorities said the Uber was not at fault.
