Tuesday, 20 March 2018

Uber self-driving car kills pedestrian in first fatal autonomous crash

quote [ A self-driving Uber SUV appeared to hit a bicyclist in Arizona. ]

Maximum Overdrive 2018 reboot is brutal

Uber has removed its self-driving cars from the roads following what is believed to be the first fatality involving a fully autonomous car.
A self-driving Uber SUV struck and killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg as she walked her bicycle across a street in Tempe, Arizona, Sunday night, according to the Tempe police. The department is investigating the crash.

Rafael Vasquez, a 44-year-old test driver from Uber, was behind the wheel of the Volvo XC90 SUV at the time, the police said.

Based on preliminary information, the car was going approximately 40 mph in a 35 mph zone, according to Tempe Police Detective Lily Duran.

Police say the investigation does not at this time show significant signs of the SUV slowing before the crash. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will determine whether charges will be filed.

"The vehicle involved is one of Uber's self-driving vehicles," the Tempe police said in a statement. "It was in autonomous mode at the time of the collision, with a vehicle operator behind the wheel."

Autonomous mode means the car is driving on its own. During tests, a person sits behind the wheel as a safeguard.

Uber is conducting tests of autonomous vehicles in Arizona, Pittsburgh, Toronto and other areas. Uber said it has stopped testing the vehicles throughout the United States and Canada.


dara khosrowshahi

@dkhos
Some incredibly sad news out of Arizona. We’re thinking of the victim’s family as we work with local law enforcement to understand what happened. https://twitter.com/uber_comms/status/975776694857474048 …

9:58 AM - Mar 19, 2018
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456 people are talking about this
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Uber said it is "fully cooperating" with local officials. "Our hearts go out to the victim's family," Uber said in a statement.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it is launching an investigation.

For self-driving cars, dealing with pedestrians and bicyclists is a challenging task. The self-driving industry has found quicker success with highway driving, which is a less complicated environment.

Uber has previously grounded its vehicles while investigating a crash. In 2017, Uber briefly pulled its vehicles from roads after an Uber self-driving vehicle in Tempe landed on its side.

Arizona is a hotbed of self-driving car development. Earlier this month, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey updated an executive order to allow self-driving cars to drive on state roads without a test driver behind the wheel.

Related: Loophole would protect self-driving companies from lawsuits

Meanwhile, Waymo, the self-driving arm of Google's parent company, is launching a public self-driving car service this year in the Phoenix, Arizona, area. Companies such as GM's Cruise and Intel are also testing in the state.

Arizona has little inclement weather. This makes it more appealing for self-driving cars, which can struggle in rain or during snowfall.

This isn't the first futuristic car involved in a fatal crash. In 2016, a man driving a Tesla was killed while its autopilot system was activated. But Tesla Autopilot is partially autonomous. A human driver is required to handle much of the driving.

However, Uber's system is designed to fully replace a human driver.

CNNMoney (Washington)
First published March 19, 2018: 1:32 PM ET
[SFW] [dystopian violence] [+2]
[by lilmookieesquire@3:10amGMT]

Comments

ComposerNate said[3] @ 9:09am GMT on 20th Mar [Score:1 Underrated]
I foresee half of Americans strongly preferring a 1% human threat to a 0,001% autonomous threat, for reasons wrapped around religion, free will, fundamental need for blame placement and justice. If life is only a test for the afterlife, then your car being self-driving takes away God's will for you to be decisive and thereby responsible. Same with gun proliferation and withholding readily available birth control, allowing Satan his temptation which True Christians may overcome and thereby be separated from the chaff. Something like this?
mechanical contrivance said @ 1:19pm GMT on 20th Mar
Yes, something like that.
donnie said @ 8:25pm GMT on 20th Mar
Although... notwithstanding that this is just one data point, the fatalities per km driven is now about a hundred times higher for autonomous vehicles than it is for humans. Your point is valid, but the record of self-driving vehicles is yet to establish itself as superior to human drivers. It will, undoubtedly, but it would seem that it is not there yet.
thepublicone said @ 8:15pm GMT on 20th Mar [Score:1 Underrated]
1
thepublicone said @ 8:19pm GMT on 20th Mar
There has been "3" days since the last automated automobile fatality.

Remember, only you can help prevent our sentient robot overlords from mowing us down piecemeal.
thepublicone said @ 8:23pm GMT on 21st Mar
There has been "4" days since the last automated automobile fatality.

Remember, only you can help prevent our sentient robot overlords from mowing us down piecemeal.
bbqkink said @ 5:59am GMT on 22nd Mar [Score:1 Informative]
Hugh E. said @ 3:51am GMT on 20th Mar
A 44-year-old test driver from Uber failed to properly operate his vehicle, thereby joining the over five thousand others who have killed pedestrians.
foobar said @ 6:12am GMT on 20th Mar
That's a bit of a stretch when we're talking about a jaywalking homeless person.
Hugh E. said @ 6:55am GMT on 20th Mar
What?
foobar said @ 7:08am GMT on 20th Mar
The person hit was jaywalking near her homeless camp. I'm skeptical that there's anything different that could have been done.
mechanical contrivance said @ 1:16pm GMT on 20th Mar
The fact that the person was homeless is relevant how?
robotroadkill said @ 1:51pm GMT on 20th Mar [Score:1 Informative]
You know, the homeless are worth so many points that no one can help themselves but to hit them. Just one of those things, I guess. *stares off into distance*
Kama-Kiri said @ 2:07pm GMT on 20th Mar [Score:1 Funsightful]
username checks out.
Hugh E. said @ 3:23pm GMT on 20th Mar
She couldn't afford the app that signals to the Autonomous Uber Technology Operation software a person is in front of it.
- Charlie Brooker's notebook
foobar said @ 10:32pm GMT on 20th Mar
I take it you don't spend any time nearby homeless encampments.
SnappyNipples said @ 3:58am GMT on 20th Mar
I wonder if the math will pan out that even if an alert person was driving was the accident avoidable?
bbqkink said @ 6:30am GMT on 20th Mar


zarathustra said @ 8:16am GMT on 20th Mar
The companion article about not being able to sue seems a bit sensationalistic if there isn't more to it then the facts given. While what is described would keep the buyer from suing over his own injuries, it wouldn't stop a suit by a passenger not in privity of contract with the manufacturer or other third party victims (like the victim in this case or her estate) from suing in court.
Ankylosaur said @ 8:43am GMT on 20th Mar
These are silicon valley types, I'd assume they'd just put stickers all over the car that say "by striking this vehicle with your body you agree to binding arbitration."
zarathustra said @ 8:49am GMT on 20th Mar
Sadly shit like that does tend to work since people assume it is true. Sort of like those stickers that incorrectly claim you void warranties by fixing shit.
0123 said[1] @ 3:05pm GMT on 21st Mar

“The companion article seems a bit sensationalistic”

If you wanted to make it really sensational, you’d have a transelxual armed robber driving the self-driving car.
mechanical contrivance said @ 1:20pm GMT on 20th Mar
I really hope the car's log files from the time of the crash become available to the public. I would love to know what really happened.
HoZay said @ 9:29pm GMT on 20th Mar
Obviously, we need to require all pedestrians to wear kevlar suits and helmets.
0123 said @ 2:02pm GMT on 20th Mar [Score:-3 Repost]
filtered comment under your threshold
Hugh E. said @ 8:25pm GMT on 20th Mar [Score:-1 Underrated]
filtered comment under your threshold

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