FIVE THINGS ABOUT AN UBER PROGRAM

1 WHAT HAPPENED IN ARIZONA

Uber temporarily suspended its self-driving car program after one of its self-driving SUVs was involved in a serious accident in Tempe, Ariz., on Friday. There was a person behind the wheel at the time, but an Uber spokeswoman said the Volvo XC90 was in self-driving mode when it was struck and overturned. There were no passengers and no serious injuries reported.

2 OTHER GUY’S FAULT

Though reports indicate the Uber vehicle was not at fault, the accident raises questions about how selfdriving cars will share the road with human drivers. Enthusiasts expect they will ultimately lead to fewer accidents and fatalities.

3 UBER’S REACTION

Uber’s self-driving fleet began getting back on the road Monday after a temporary suspension. The company said Monday its vehicles have hit the streets in San Francisco, where they are mapping the city but not picking up passengers. It expects to resume its selfdriving service for passengers in Arizona and Pittsburgh soon, though a spokeswoman did not say when that would be.

4 LESS CAUTIOUS THAN OTHERS

Uber has been moving aggressively to put its self-driving vehicles on the road with passengers. As a precaution, the vehicles have a safety engineer who can take control if necessary. Others that have been developing the technology longer, including Google’s Waymo, have been hesitant to put ordinary people in their cars without further testing.

5 A LONG TRANSITION

Car and tech companies alike are dumping billions of dollars into the technology with the idea that one day our cars will no longer need human drivers. In the meantime, vehicles with self-driving capabilities will be put in situations that are difficult to navigate, such as what to do when another vehicle honks its horn.