Video of Fatal Uber Accident Sheds Light on Situation
Video of the fatal accident between a self-driving Uber test vehicle and a pedestrian has surfaced, shedding some light on the controversial situation.
The video shows the operator, identified as 44-year-old Rafaela Vasquez, repeatedly glancing downward as the Volvo XC90 equipped with Uber’s suite of self-driving sensors travels northbound down the 45 MPH road. The victim, 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg, is then seen walking a bike across the road from the oncoming lane toward the sidewalk. The operator, looking down, fails to see her, as does the Uber’s autonomous sensors, and she is struck.
Warning: this video may be graphic for some viewers
This video goes against statements made by the Tempe Police chief that said the victim very suddenly stepped out in front of the vehicle and that it “would have been difficult to avoid this collision in any kind of mode.” It appears as though Herzberg was in the road for at least a few seconds before she was hit, although it’s admittedly hard to see her until she becomes illuminated from the vehicle’s headlights. It still seems as though Uber’s sensors should have detected a moving object in the road, however, so it’s reassuring that these autonomous prototypes aren’t currently being tested on public streets.
“The video is disturbing and heartbreaking to watch, and our thoughts continue to be with Elaine’s loved ones,” an Uber spokesperson said in a prepared statement. “Our cars remain grounded, and we’re assisting local, state and federal authorities in any way we can.”
The Tempe police, along with government safety regulators, are still investigating the incident. Stay tuned for more information as this story develops.
[Source: Automotive News]
Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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Could this be more of a progressive urban stew? This is what the future actually looks like. It's ugly and it's already partly here. - Driverless vehicle, touted as totes safe; critics portrayed as ludite backwards alarmists. - Bicyclist not giving a shit walking across road where the hell ever without regard to traffic in total darkness - Driver paid to be failsafe in vehicle not giving a shit doing whatever - Driver absorbed with virtual world in phone and ignoring reality - Driver no class dude claiming to be woman (name is Rafael according to law enforcement--Rafaela per Uber) Everyone involved at the incident abdicated responsibility. Their attitude was, someone else's problem, not mine, and the computer hailed as the future to save them; did not.
Could this be more of a progressive urban stew? This is what the future actually looks like. It's ugly and it's already partly here. - Driverless vehicle, touted as totes safe; critics portrayed as ludite backwards alarmists. - Bicyclist not giving a shit walking across road where the hell ever without regard to traffic in total darkness - Driver paid to be failsafe in vehicle not giving a shit doing whatever - Driver absorbed with virtual world in phone and ignoring reality - Driver no class dude claiming to be woman (name is Rafael according to law enforcement--Rafaela per Uber) Everyone involved at the incident abdicated responsibility. Their attitude was, someone else's problem, not mine.