Welcome back, Uber

For now, high-tech cars are in human hands

Uber is on the road again in Pittsburgh after about four months of idling prompted by a fatal accident involving one of its vehicles in Tempe, Ariz. Uber is an important player in the city’s economy, so it’s reassuring that the company is getting back to business here even as its cars in other test cities remain sidelined.

Just as important, Uber is easing back into its test program and appears to be on better footing with Mayor Bill Peduto, who in the spring criticized the company for not agreeing to safety rules he proposed or doing enough to keep him apprised of plans to return to the road.

For now, Uber’s autonomous vehicles won’t be driving themselves. The operator normally on standby behind the wheel will do the driving as Uber accumulates road miles to gather data about accident scenarios and update its maps of city streets. A second operator will be present to take notes and spell the driver.

The Tempe accident, which killed a 49-year-old pedestrian, involved a self-driving car whose standby operator was streaming a television show. The company since has increased training for employees, with special attention devoted to distracted driving, and it’s installed equipment in the cars to monitor operator conduct. Uber operators can be certain that Big Brother is watching to ensure they are, too.

At the time of the Tempe crash, the car’s emergency self-braking system was turned off for performance reasons. The standby operator was expected to apply the brakes manually to prevent a collision. Now, the emergency braking system will be on even when the car is manually driven.

Although Mr. Peduto didn’t get everything he wanted, such as Uber agreeing to a 25 mph speed limit in the city, he’s mollified for the moment. His office said he’s pleased that Uber is running the vehicles in manual mode and that the company kept him in the loop before hitting the streets Tuesday.

Important corporate citizens and the mayor should have a good if candid relationship. If safety again becomes an issue, Mr. Peduto has a duty to complain about it, even if the friction makes for embarrassing headlines. Pittsburgh has become one of the most important sites in the nation for testing autonomous vehicles, with Argo AI, Aptiv and Aurora Innovation on the ground here as well. The city should nurture its reputation for welcoming innovation, while ensuring that residents remain safe and that companies make news for the right reasons.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation this week issued voluntary guidance for Uber and other companies testing autonomous vehicles statewide. A draft version came out earlier in the year. The guidelines ask companies to provide information about the operators, drivers and technology to be deployed and make certain other requests, such as the presence of a second operator in a vehicle operating over 25 mph.

The guidelines are voluntary until they’re codified in a bill passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor. Lawmakers should move as expeditiously as possible but take whatever time is needed to assess the guidelines and, if necessary, add to them. This process also affords Mr. Peduto another chance to pitch his own safety proposals.