Source: Fresco News
Uber has temporarily ceased the testing of its autonomous vehicles after a crash occurred on Friday, March 24, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona that involved one of the company’s self-driving cars. According to the police report, the Uber vehicle involved in the crash was a Volvo SUV, which was confirmed to have been in self-driving mode at the time of the crash.
Uber’s self-driving cars always have a person behind the wheel who can take over the controls at any given time.
“There was a person behind the wheel. It is uncertain at this time if they were controlling the vehicle at the time of the collision,” Tempe police spokeswoman Josie Montenegro said. Montenegro also claimed the Uber vehicle was not responsible for the incident and declared that no one was hurt.
Another vehicle failed to yield for the Uber car while making a turn, causing the self-driving vehicle to flip onto its side, according to the police report.
Immediately following the crash, the company removed all the self-driving vehicles operating throughout Arizona from the streets. Test sites in Pennsylvania were also put on hold soon after the incident was reported.
An Uber spokeswoman said, “We are continuing to look into this incident and can confirm we had no backseat passengers in the vehicle.”
A photo of the crash aftermath was posted on Twitter by Fresco News.
Uber self-driving car testing began late last year in Pittsburgh. The company’s self-driving cars were banned from operating in San Francisco last December by the California Department of Motor Vehicles after Uber refused to apply for a $150 permit that would designate the cars as test vehicles. After the ban, Uber Technologies expanded auto-steer testing sites to Arizona.
The company began picking up customers in Tempe last month after Arizona Governor Doug Ducey took the inaugural ride in an Uber vehicle last December and released this statement:
“Arizona welcomes Uber self-driving cars with open arms and wide open roads. While California puts the brakes on innovation and change with more bureaucracy and more regulation, Arizona is paving the way for new technology and new businesses. In 2015, I signed an executive order supporting the testing and operation of self-driving cars in Arizona with an emphasis on innovation, economic growth, and most importantly, public safety. This is about economic development, but it’s also about changing the way we live and work. Arizona is proud to be open for business. California may not want you, but we do.”
As of Monday, March 27, 2017, Uber Technologies announced its driverless vehicles are back on the road in San Francisco. The company’s San Francisco-based program is currently in development mode, only has two cars registered with the California DMV, and is not yet transporting passengers.