Technology plays a huge role in our daily lives, whether it’s when we are home watching TV or on our lunch break going through our social media. Technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, in the car industry, for example, a new type of car is being tested – an autonomous car, meaning, a “self-driving” car.
Where are the self-driving cars being tested?
Testing for these self-driving cars include the following areas:
- San Francisco
- Phoenix
- Pittsburgh
- Toronto
Self-driving car kills pedestrian
Self-driving cars are thought to be the answer to cutting down the traffic deaths that occur in the United States in “human-driven” cars. Unfortunately, after months of testing self-driving Uber vehicles in Tempe and Phoenix, an Uber struck and killed 49 year old Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona on Sunday night.
Could this tragedy have been avoided?
After watching the footage, experts say that although it was dark at the time of the crash, the vehicle’s laser and radar sensors should have spotted the pedestrian and the computers should have braked. In addition, Uber’s human backup driver appeared to be looking down before the crash and appeared startled about the time of impact.
Bryant Walker Smith, a University of South Carolina law professor who studies self-driving cars stated that even though it was dark, the laser and radar should have classified her as human. According to Smith, the Uber driver was also relying too much on the self-driving system by not looking up at the road. Sam Abuelsmaid, an analyst for Navigant Research stated that laser and radar systems are much better than humans and cameras when it comes to seeing in the dark – he believes that the car was completely at fault, not the pedestrian because it should have been able to pick her up.
What now?
After this fatal accident, Uber has stopped all road-testing of self-driving cars in Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Toronto. Uber is also assisting local, state, and federal authorities in the investigations.
Contact Brooks Law Group
If you or a loved one have lost someone because of someone else’s negligence or were involved in a car accident, call Brooks Law Group today at 1-800-LAW-3030 for a free consultation. Attorneys at Brooks Law Group work on a contingent fee basis, meaning that you don’t owe us anything unless we win your case.
