(Newswire.net — March 16, 2020) —
An Uber accident took place recently that resulted in a fatal motor vehicle accident. At the time of the accident, Uber was testing its new software could lead to self-driving rideshare vehicles. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is currently involved in an investigation; however, the early results show that there are multiple risks involved in using this new self-driving software. In addition to the accident discussed above that led to a fatality, there were also dozens of other crashes that took place during the preceding year and a half.
The NTSB is going to use these findings to make recommendations regarding how this industry should proceed with the idea of cars that can drive themselves. The fatal accident discussed above took place when an individual was walking her bicycle across the street in the middle of the night. According to a report from NTSB, the self-driving Uber car was not able to identify that a pedestrian was walking across the street. The vehicle struck the pedestrian in a fatal accident. This accident prompted major safety concerns as they relate to the idea of self-driving cars. Clearly, something needs to be done to correct this technology before it becomes mainstream. As expected, Uber suspended all of its testing as it relates to self-driving cars.
Rideshare apps are a popular method of transportation. They have also done a lot to reduce the rate of drunk driving. Unfortunately, there are still problems with this system, as this accident shows. According to Glotzer and Leib, “The growing popularity of ridesharing services simply adds to the traffic and congestion on the city’s roads.” When there is more traffic on the road, this can lead to a higher rate of accidents. As rideshare apps become more popular, the number of accidents is going to increase. Some of the most common causes of accidents involving ridesharing apps include tailgating, lane changes under unsafe conditions, improper turns, and distracted driving.
The frequency of these auto accidents has led to a push to develop cars that can drive themselves. There are some who feel that removing the responsibility from human hands and placing it at the lap of machines can reduce the frequency of motor vehicle accidents. While this might be the case, the accident above shows that this software is not yet ready for mainstream use. It will be interesting to see how the NTSB directs Uber to proceed with its software development in the future. Clearly, more needs to be done to make sure that people aren’t put in harm’s way by self-driving Uber vehicles.