Skip to Content
Policy

A self-driving Uber has killed a pedestrian in Arizona

March 19, 2018

Uber has halted its self-driving trials across the US after one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in a fatal accident in Tempe, Arizona. The accident may prove to be a defining moment for the autonomous-car industry.

More details: The accident happened last night when a woman walked into the road in front of a vehicle traveling in self-driving mode. Uber says a safety driver was behind the wheel but no passengers were in the car. It isn’t clear yet whether the car’s self-driving system could have avoided the accident. Uber says it is cooperating with the investigation.

What it means: Experts have long worried that a negative public reaction to the first serious accidents involving self-driving vehicles could cool enthusiasm for the technology and lead to onerous regulations.

Past accidents: This is the first time a self-driving car has killed a pedestrian. But there have been accidents involving semi-automated systems. Most prominently, the driver of a Tesla Model S was killed in May 2016 when his car crashed into a truck while driving in Autopilot mode.

Deep Dive

Policy

Is there anything more fascinating than a hidden world?

Some hidden worlds--whether in space, deep in the ocean, or in the form of waves or microbes--remain stubbornly unseen. Here's how technology is being used to reveal them.

Africa’s push to regulate AI starts now        

AI is expanding across the continent and new policies are taking shape. But poor digital infrastructure and regulatory bottlenecks could slow adoption.

Yes, remote learning can work for preschoolers

The largest-ever humanitarian intervention in early childhood education shows that remote learning can produce results comparable to a year of in-person teaching.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.