Uber has suspended its pilot program for driverless cars on Saturday after a vehicle geared up with the nascent technology struck on an Arizona highway, the ride-hailing company and regional police informed.
The mishap, the latest having a self-driving vehicle operated by among several companies exploring autonomous cars, caused no severe injuries, Uber stated.
However, the companies stated it was grounding driverless cars associated with a pilot program in Arizona, Pittsburgh and San Francisco pending the result of investigation into the accident on Friday evening in Tempe.
“We are continuing to look into this incident,” an Uber spokesperson stated in an e-mail.
The mishap happened when the driver of a 2nd lorry “failed to yield” to the Uber car while making a turn, stated Josie Montenegro, a spokesperson for the Tempe Police Department.
“The automobiles clashed, triggering the autonomous vehicle to roll onto its side,” she stated in an email. “There were no major injuries.”
Two “safety” drivers were in the front seats of the Uber vehicle, which remained in self-driving mode at the time of the accident, Uber informed in an email, a basic requirement for its self-driving cars. The rear seat was empty.
Photos and a video posted on Twitter by Fresco News revealed a Volvo SUV turned on its side after an apparent crash involving two other, a bit damaged cars. Uber stated the images were from the Tempe crash scene.
