Driverless Shuttle Involved in Accident Mere Hours After It Launches
A short time after officials held an unveiling ceremony for a driverless shuttle in Las Vegas, it was involved in an accident with a delivery truck.
Before you think this proves that self-driving cars have no place in this world, the shuttle wasn’t at fault for the accident. The shuttle comes from Navya, which actually demonstrated the technology earlier this year around the same time as the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show. The city of Las Vegas is working hard on becoming a go-to destination for testing self-driving cars and the driverless shuttles are part of that program.
According to News 3 Las Vegas, the driverless shuttle collided with a delivery truck within its first hour of operation in downtown Las Vegas. No one was injured in the accident, which is being described as a minor incident.
SEE ALSO: No Hijinks Allowed as Fully Autonomous Shuttles Hit the Las Vegas Strip
“The autonomous shuttle was testing today when it was grazed by a delivery truck downtown,” said a representative with the City of Las Vegas. “The shuttle did what it was supposed to do, in that its sensors registered the truck and the shuttle stopped to avoid the accident. Unfortunately, the delivery truck did not stop and grazed the front fender of the shuttle. Had the truck had the same sensing equipment that the shuttle has the accident would have been avoided. Testing of the shuttle will continue during the 12-month pilot in the downtown Innovation District.”
As part of the program, rides on the shuttle are completely free of charge and the goal is to get at least 750,000 people to try it out. It seats eight people and has the ability to immediately brake automatically or manually in case anything crosses its path. As an incentive to testing out the shuttle, AAA is donating $1 to the Las Vegas Victims Fund for every rider that gets on the shuttle. The association is starting with a guaranteed $100,000 check.
The driver of the truck was cited for the accident.
A new driverless shuttle crashed just hours after it launched in downtown Las Vegas. pic.twitter.com/Cksy0fu0Mz
— Gabby Hart (@GabbyNews3LV) November 8, 2017
[Source: News 3 Las Vegas]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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