The self-driving Volvo hit a pedestrian at 39mph, despite the presence of a safety driver
The back-up driver of an Uber self-driving car that killed a pedestrian has been charged with negligent homicide.
Elaine Herzberg, aged 49, was hit by the car as she wheeled a bicycle across the road in Tempe, Arizona, in 2018.
Investigators said the car’s safety driver, Rafael Vasquez, had been streaming an episode of the television show The Voice at the time.
Ms Vasquez pleaded not guilty, and was released to await trial.
Uber will not face criminal charges, after
a decision last year that there was “no basis for criminal liability” for the corporation.
The accident was the first death on record involving a self-driving car, and resulted in Uber ending its testing of the technology in Arizona.
‘Visually distracted’
Lengthy investigations by police and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found that human error was mostly to blame for the crash.
Ms Vasquez was in the driver’s seat, and had the ability to take over control of the vehicle in an emergency.
Dash-cam footage released by police showed Ms Vasquez looking down, away from the road, for several seconds immediately before the crash, while the car was travelling at 39mph (63km/h).
Records from the streaming service Hulu also seemed to show that her device had been streaming a television show at the time.
The NTSB, meanwhile, identified the probable cause of the accident as failure of the operator to monitor their surroundings, and the automated system, “because she was visually distracted throughout the trip by her personal cell phone”.
NTSB vice chairman Bruce Landsberg wrote in the report: “On this trip, the safety driver spent 34% of the time looking at her cell phone while streaming a TV show.”
Ms Vasquez was charged on 27 August, and made her first appearance in court on 15 September. The trial is now set for February next year.
In May 2018, when Elaine Herzberg was killed, confidence in autonomous vehicle technology was at an all-time high.
Everyone from Elon Musk to the British Chancellor Philip Hammond was telling us that robo-taxis and other autonomous vehicles would be on the roads within a couple of years, cutting congestion and delivering a big boost to road safety.
But the accident in Arizona punctured that confidence.
It showed that however smart the machine learning in the autonomous systems, mixing robots with humans as cars made the journey towards full autonomy was going to prove a real challenge.
Not only did Uber have to halt its testing programme for a while, but rivals such as Google’s Waymo became notably more cautious in their trials. Only today it is being reported that the Chinese tech giant Baidu is pushing back the full rollout of its robo-taxis until 2025, partly because of confusion about regulations.
As long as “self-driving” cars still need a human safety driver behind the wheel, there will be confusion about whose fault it is when something goes wrong – but going fully autonomous is such a huge leap that even the boldest tech firm is likely to be very cautious about going first.
Despite the decision not to levy criminal charges against Uber itself, the company did not escape criticism.
The NTSB report said that Uber’s “inadequate safety risk assessment procedures” and “ineffective oversight of vehicle operators” were contributing factors. It accused the company of having an “inadequate safety culture”.
In closing, accidents like this could’ve been avoided as long as proper driving and safety were complied with. While it may seem redundant to keep on reporting about the best ways to stay safe while on the road, it also can’t be denied that there’s always a need to repeat these over and over again. The onset of many road accidents only proves that driving safely is no longer such common sense anymore.
Hence, always remember the following safety guidelines.
- It’s a good idea to have your GPS system on during any trip you take. You want to be sure that your directions are accurate and that you can get the best route possible for you and your group. Having the proper tools can help you get there safely and enjoy your trip.
- Prepare yourself before you embark on any road trip, especially if you’ll be on the road for long. You want to have all of the things you need to get your car started, including a working gas meter, lights, brake fluid, brake pads, a horn, and jack and tires. Some of these items may vary depending on where you live, but they are all important to have when traveling.
- Don’t drink any alcohol before you start your trip. Alcohol can be harmful as you’re intoxicated and you’re generally a nuisance to those around you. If you can’t see and hear things clearly, then you can’t expect to be a good driver and to still fully understand what’s going on around you. There’s a reason why anti-drunk driving laws are in place, and it’s your full responsibility to respect and abide by these laws.
Even if alcohol is nice to give as presents for the holidays, make sure you only drink them once you reach your home.
- Stay focused. The accident that has just been discussed mainly talked about distracted driving as the primary root cause. There are many factors that can equally come into play as distractions today, such as not being attentive enough, listening to very loud music, using the mobile phone when driving, fighting, eating, and talking.
The most important word of caution to remember is this: while you may be as cautious as you are, accidents can happen anytime and anywhere. You don’t have control over it from happening, but you can at least control its outcome.
In this regard, one of the best tips for you to apply is to seek the help of reputable car accident lawyers from The Dominguez Firm in Los Angeles. If you’re the victim, with their expertise, you can appropriately claim the compensation that’s due to you.
Related Topics
- Driverless cars
- Car industry
- Uber
- Arizona