Uber self-driving car was NOT to blame for crash when it drove across an intersection on a yellow light and was hit by a car turning left, say police
- Self-driving Uber in recent crash entered the intersection in a yellow light
- Another car had turned left in front of the Uber and hit they collided
- It was in self-driving mode and hit two other vehicles and rolled onto its side
- A spokesperson for the company said there were no customers inside the car
- Uber decided to resume the self-driving car program in Arizona and Pittsburgh
The self-driving Uber car that crashed in Arizona last week was not to blame for the accident despite entering an intersection on a yellow light, a police report revealed.
The Volvo SUV reportedly entered an intersection at 38mph as the light turned yellow and was hit by a green Honda trying to make a left at the light.
Patrick Murphy, an Uber employee who was in the car at the time of the accident, told police that he saw the Honda turning left, but 'there was no time to react as there was a blind spot.'
The Honda smashed into the Uber vehicle, pushing it into a traffic pole and causing it to flip onto its side.
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Uber has grounded all of its self-driving cars after a high impact accident where an automated vehicle crashed and flipped onto its side in Tempe, Arizona, on Friday (pictured)
Uber confirmed the Volvo was in self-driving mode at the time of the accident but said there were no injuries or customers inside the car
Differing witness reports make it unclear who is to blame for the accident, but police agree that the Uber was not at fault.
However, witness accounts raise a question of whether or not Uber's self-driving sensors were able to spot the light turning yellow, and if so, whether it decided it could safely continue through the intersection, reported Insurance Jour nal[5].
Critics have also noted that drivers often slip through lanes to meet green lights, and that Uber's cars should be prepared to cope with unpredictable driving.
The accident in Arizona caused no major injuries, but the company temporarily suspended self-driving cars in Phoenix, Pittsburgh and San Francisco the day after it occurred.
Despite conflicting reports, the company has decided to resume the self-driving car program in Arizona and Pittsburgh.
Uber is now resuming its self-driving car program in Arizona and Pittsburgh after it was suspended following the crash over the weekend
A photo posted to Tw itter on Friday showed an Uber [6]Volvo rolled onto its side next to a smashed up Ford SUV and a dented gold sedan car.
At the time of the accident, the vehicle was in self-driving mode and there were two people in the front of the car to monitor the car's performance and to take over if there was an emergency, reported the Financial Times[7].
It was not clear why the car's safety features didn't prevent the crash, or if the employees in the car attempted to manually override the vehicle before the crash.
The incident occurred when another vehicle turned left in front of the Uber, causing the collision and the self-driving car to roll onto its side, reported 12 News[8].
At the time of the crash there were 12 self-driving Ubers on the road in Phoenix, less than 15 miles away from Tempe, where the accident happened. All of these automated cars were taken off the streets while the company investigates the incident.
The car-hailing service has been dented by a series of bad news stories, including disclosures about a culture of sexism, cut-throat workplace tactics and covert use of law enforcement-evading software.
Uber's fleet of self-driving cars are currently in Phoenix, Pittsburgh and San Francisco and all of the cars were pulled off streets by Saturday.
It was revealed that Uber's automated cars can only drive for less than a mile without a human having to take over the wheel. Pictured is Anthony Levandowski, head of Uber's self-driving program
In shocking leaked data, it was revealed that Uber's automated cars can only drive for less than a mile without a human having to take over the wheel.
The cars, which are being road tested in Pennsylvania, Arizona and California, could only drive for 0.7 miles without assistance in February.
And during o ne week, the vehicles could only drive for 50 miles before needing a 'critical' human intervention to prevent them from hitting a person or causing at least $5,000 worth of property damage.
After striking a deal with Volvo, the company started testing its self-driving vehicles on the road - with human drivers sitting in the cars to provide backup.
This isn't the first time one of the company's automated cars was involved in a traffic incident. In December of 2016, one of the self-driving cars sped through a red light in San Francisco
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References
- ^ Abigail Miller (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Cheyenne Roundtree For Dailymail.com (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ e-mail (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 6 View comments (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Insurance Journal (www.insurancejournal.com)
- ^ Uber (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Financial Times (www.ft.com)
- ^ 12 News (www.12news.com)
- ^ Snake gets its comeuppance after attacking a porcupine... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Mother and her son, 13, die and his company director... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ FBI pictures reveal fiery aftermath and appalling... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 'You owe me': Top Harefield heart surgeon 'raped mother... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ EXCLUSIVE - Bird of paradise: Bikini-clad Megyn Kelly... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 'The EU has ruined this country': Furious pensi oner, 70,... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Road to Damascus moment: Syrian millionaire, 38, GIVES... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Out on the town AGAIN! Malia Obama, 18, dines out with a... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 'You failed your wife, you failed your children': Husband... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ EXCLUSIVE - Ivanka's favorite sanctuary city: First... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Romanian 18-year-old girl claims she has sold her... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Woman who tried to lure a toddler from her mother by... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Man tries to abduct three-year-old British girl at Costa... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ PICTURED: Dog owner mauled to death by his own Staffie in... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Terrifying moment two hooded men break into a Washington... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Pay up first - THEN we'll talk! EU leaders threaten... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 'I'm trying not to vomit or yell out Mosul': Outrage at... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ 'My rule is that if my Grandad would be disgusted, I'd... (www.dailymail.co.uk)
