Autonomous shuttle passenger injured following sudden stop

A 76-year-old passenger travelling on an autonomous shuttle has been injured after the vehicle came to an unexpected stop, says KUTV. Gene Petrie, an employee at the Utah State Tax Commission, was thrown from his seat and hit the handrail near the door, resulting in bruising and black eyes. Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission, is quoted saying: “Out of the clear blue, it suddenly stopped, and it wasn’t a slow-down stop. It was a sudden stop.” Petrie went to the hospital f
August 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

A 76-year-old passenger travelling on an autonomous shuttle has been injured after the vehicle came to an unexpected stop, says %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external KUTV false https://kutv.com/news/local/first-injury-on-utahs-driverless-shuttle-during-unexpected-stop false false%>.

Gene Petrie, an employee at the Utah State Tax Commission, was thrown from his seat and hit the handrail near the door, resulting in bruising and black eyes.

Charlie Roberts, spokesman for the Utah State Tax Commission, is quoted saying: “Out of the clear blue, it suddenly stopped, and it wasn’t a slow-down stop. It was a sudden stop.”

Petrie went to the hospital for treatment and returned to work the next day. He is a state worker travelling on the shuttle near the Multi Agency State Office Building while the 1904 Utah Department of Transportation (UDoT) is testing the technology.

John Gleason, UDoT spokesman, says: “As soon as this happened, we took the shuttle out of service immediately for about 24 hours and ran a bunch of tests on it, ran through the emergency stops, looked at the software, looked at the sensors.”

The cause of the sudden stop is unknown as no one noticed a pedestrian or obstacle that may have tripped a sensor.

“You hate to see an incident like that, but we’re confident in the overall safety of the shuttle and we’ve taken a lot of precautions to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Gleason adds.

The UDoT has reduced the shuttle’s speed from 12 miles per hour to 9. The operator is now more frequently warning people that abrupt stops are possible.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • British Safety Council launches app for measuring air pollution in London
    March 11, 2019
    The British Safety Council (BSC) and Kings College London have launched an app for outdoor workers to measure exposure to air pollution – an increasing preoccupation for the ITS industry. The Canairy app could help improve workzone safety by providing employees, and their bosses, with information to help them reduce exposure to air pollution. The app is being launched as part of the BSC’s ‘Time to Breathe’ campaign, which seeks to encourage companies, policymakers and regulators to take the risks of
    Read More
  • Uber suspends Barcelona service after new regulations introduced
    February 5, 2019
    Taxi-hailing giant Uber is suspending its service in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The move comes after new regulations were passed by local authorities, according to Reuters. The company started its UberX service in the city last year. But from now on, passengers using ride-hailing services will have to wait at least 15 minutes after booking a ride before they can be picked up – thus negating one of the key selling points of companies such as Uber. Speed and convenience – as well as cost – are w
    Read More
  • UK govt seeks cycle safety evidence as report calls for new laws
    March 13, 2018
    A report from legal expert Laura Thomas has claimed that there is a strong case for changing the law to combat dangerous cycling, which if implemented, would bring offences in line with dangerous driving. It ties in with the Department for Transport's Call for Evidence, which is seeking to address issues that cyclists and pedestrians face, or perceive when using the road infrastructure. Thomas said: “Overall, in my opinion, the present law on cycling is not sufficient. I suggest that an offence comprising
    Read More
  • Careem offers transport for Saudi Arabia hospitals
    July 10, 2019
    Careem is to provide a transportation service to patients travelling to and from Saudi German Hospitals (SGH) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. SGH is a provider of healthcare services located in the Middle East and North Africa region with hospitals located in areas such as Egypt and Dubai. Makarem Sobhi Batterjee, vice chairman, SGH, told the Saudi Gazette: “This agreement will help pave the way in addressing our patient’s transportation needs.” As part of the agreement, patients will receive 20%
    Read More

Highlighted Content