USA TODAY International Edition
Pedestrian’s death renews debate over driverless cars
Uber halts testing after woman killed in Arizona
SAN FRANCISCO – An Uber selfdriving car hit and killed a woman in Tempe, Ariz., a tragic milestone that could lead to a major setback in the otherwise feverish development of driverless transportation.
The death of Elaine Herzberg, 49, who was crossing a street outside the marked crosswalk, appears to be the first time a self-driving car has been involved in the fatality of a person not inside the vehicle.
In 2016, a man was killed while behind the wheel of a Tesla that was driving itself in Autopilot mode when a truck cut across its path — the first such death related to a car in self-driving mode. Investigators found the driver failed to heed warnings to take back control of his car.
The Arizona accident is poised to become a focal point of a debate over the viability of self-driving cars, which promoters vow will save lives while skeptics contend it remains dangerously ill-prepared for prime time.
Uber’s test car was in self-driving mode when the accident occurred but had a safety driver — a person who is supposed to step in and take control if there’s a snafu — as is the norm when testing such vehicles, according to Tempe police.
Uber, which is based in San Francisco, issued a statement saying that it was “fully cooperating with local authorities.” The company has temporarily halted its self-driving testing in Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto, as is its policy following any accident.
Tempe police Sgt. Ronald Elcock confirmed to USA TODAY Network that the car was in autonomous mode with a driver behind the wheel when it hit the pedestrian. There were no passengers in the car at the time. The safety driver’s name was not released.
The woman was crossing outside the designated crosswalk at about 10 p.m. when she was hit, police said.
In a statement mourning Herzberg’s death, Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell said his city has been welcoming to selfdriving tests “because of the promise the technology may offer in many areas,” particularly for seniors and the disabled.
In a tweet, National Transportation Safety Board officials said they were sending a team to Arizona to investigate the accident.
Federal regulators have been supportive of the move toward autonomy, with Transportation secretaries under both President Obama and President Trump creating a framework for companies to share developments without giving away trade secrets.
Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted Monday that the company had “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.”
This appears to be the first known pedestrian death involving a self-driving car, a technology that long has been touted as being able to reduce the number of automobile fatalities.
The incident is sure to add fuel to concerns among activists, such as Consumer Watchdog, who feel the technology is not ready for prime time.