Uber to stop Arizona testing of autonomous cars
Uber has begun winding down its self-driving car tests in Arizona following a fatal accident in March involving one of the company’s driverless vehicles.
The ride-hailing firm, which is developing autonomous vehicle technology, informed about 300 Arizona employees on Wednesday that it will no longer test self-driving cars in the state.
Uber had previously suspended all testing in response to the March 18 incident, when a woman crossing outside of a crosswalk was struck and killed in Tempe, Arizona. The car’s autonomous system was activated at the time of the accident.
“We’re committed to self-driving technology, and we look forward to returning to public roads in the near future,” an Uber spokesperson said in a statement. “In the meantime, we remain focused on our top-to-bottom safety review.”
The company has brought on former National Transportation Safety Board Chair Christopher Hart to advise it on safety.
Uber plans to focus on its San Francisco and Pittsburgh engineering hubs as it continues to pursue driverless technology.
The tech company also expects to resume testing its self-driving cars on public roads in Pittsburgh this summer. Uber has used public roads in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Toronto as part of its research.