Footage Released Of Self-Driving Uber Car Hitting Cyclist

The collision occurred Sunday night on Mill Avenue, a four lane main artery in Tempe, Ariz.

On Sunday at about 10 p.m. local time, one of Uber’s autonomous vehicles hit Elaine Herzberg, 49, in what is believed to be the first time a self-driving vehicle has killed a pedestrian.

The question remains as to whether a human driver would have been able to avoid this accident, but autonomous vehicles are going to have to perform at almost ideal levels in order for them to become mainstream. However, the video footage shows her looking down just before the accident, and though it’s not certain that she could have done anything to prevent the collision, the fact that she was not focused on the road makes impossible to know. But some experts in the field who have watched the video say something must be amiss – that the auto should have avoided hitting Herzberg.

A second expert, Sam Abuelsmaid explained, ‘It should absolutely have been able to pick her up.

The vehicle does not appear to slow down before the crash and police told the Phoenix New Times that neither the auto nor the driver braked “significantly” before impact.

The Tempe Police Department said it was investigating the crash, and has not determined whether the auto was at fault.

Toyota unveiled the latest generation of its Lexus self-driving auto at CES earlier this year.

Seconds later, Ms Vasquez grows alarmed when she realises the vehicle is about to hit the pedestrian.

In another frame, the driver, Ms Vasquez, is seen behind the wheel as the auto rides on its own.

“People do unpredictable things”.

The autonomous vehicles have been used to shuttle Uber passengers in parts of Tempe and Scottsdale.

More than 30,000 Americans are killed every year in road crashes, including almost 6,000 pedestrians.

Uber has suspended self-driving tests in North America following the crash.

According to USA statistics, more than 94 per cent of all road collisions are due to human error.

Automakers including General Motors Co, technology companies such as Alphabet and ride services providers like Uber Technologies have all urged policy makers at the federal and state level not to put a heavy regulatory hand on an industry still in development. “How many lives might we be losing if we wait?”

Both the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the tragic collision.

“Safety is our top priority always, including in testing autonomous vehicles, and we have an established process to make data-driven decisions”, said spokesman Alan Hall.

The ripple effect of a deadly incident involving an Uber self-driving auto in Arizona widened as two companies including Toyota said they were halting self-driving vehicle testing programs.

JAPANESE automaker Toyota today said it was suspending tests of its self-driving cars so staff could “emotionally process” after an autonomous Uber auto killed a pedestrian in an accident. That occurred in 2016 when OH man Joshua Brown was killed when his Tesla Model S slammed into a blueberry truck. The system is created to provide a 360-degree virtual view of the environment surrounding the vehicle. Waymo still uses two test drivers when it is adding new systems or moving to a new location.

Smith also suggested that a human driver may have avoided the crash.

Public disclosure of self-driving vehicle testing data is inconsistent and varies by state. Sam Abuelsamid, senior analyst at Navigant Research, told TheDetroitBureau.com that its likely that other companies are going to rethink their plans to test vehicles in real-world situations.

While the crash has raised concerns over Uber’s driver screening policy, the company states “everyone deserves a fair chance” in regards to employing those with a criminal record.