NTSB: Uber’s AV in fatal crash ‘had software issues’

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that an Uber autonomous vehicle which killed Elaine Herzberg last year had software flaws. NTSB released a report which says the Volvo XC60’s autonomous system software classified the pedestrian as an unknown object and determined that an emergency braking manoeuvre was needed to mitigate the collision. Uber confirmed that emergency braking manoeuvres must be carried out manually and the system is not designed to alert the driver. Data
November 6, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

The US 5628 National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has found that an 8336 Uber autonomous vehicle which %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external killed false https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/uber-ends-self-driving-programme-in-arizona/ false false%> Elaine Herzberg last year had software flaws.

NTSB released a %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external report false https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdms/search/hitlist.cfm?docketID=62978&amp;CurrentPage=2&amp;EndRow=30&amp;StartRow=16&amp;order=1&amp;sort=0&amp;TXTSEARCHT= false false%> which says the 609 Volvo XC60’s autonomous system software classified the pedestrian as an unknown object and determined that an emergency braking manoeuvre was needed to mitigate the collision.

Uber confirmed that emergency braking manoeuvres must be carried out manually and the system is not designed to alert the driver.

Data retrieved from the autonomous system revealed that the vehicle operator engaged the steering wheel less than a second before impact while the vehicle was travelling at 39mph.

The NTSB reviewed Uber’s autonomous system cameras which revealed that Herzberg did not look in the direction of the vehicle just before impact.

An inward-facing video showed the vehicle operator glancing down toward the centre of the vehicle several times before the crash. A post-crash interview with NTSB investigators revealed that she was monitoring the autonomous system’s interface.

The NTSB is working with Uber, Volvo Cars and the 6576 Arizona Department of Transportation to compile a complete account of the crash.

Uber is not the only company whose AV trials have led to a fatality. Last year, a Tesla vehicle operating in %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external autopilot false https://www.itsinternational.com/categories/utc/news/tesla-car-crash-in-california-kills-driver-while-running-on-autopilot/ false false%> in California caught fire after crashing into a roadside barrier that killed the driver. 

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Presentations from 2012 Connected Vehicle Safety Workshop now available online
    October 4, 2012
    PowerPoint presentations from September’s Connected Vehicle public meeting in Chicago are now available for viewing on the internet. The meeting, which was organised by the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO), focused on vehicle-to-vehicle safety, the current safety pilot model deployment, development of a robust vehicle-to-infrastructure environment, connected vehicle deployment strategies, and preparation for NHTSA's 2013 decision. In addition, participants had an opportunit
    Read More
  • Cigo! Will exhibit smart mobility management platform
    March 21, 2018
    Cigo! is using Intertraffic to present its smart mobility management platform that is designed with the intention of providing interaction between the backend and mobile app. Called Go!fleet, the solution is said to reduce costs, automating tasks, provide reports as well as create a communication network between users, clients, drivers and the back office to help reduce the impact of incidents. The product allows users to customise the routing algorithm by choosing more than 10 features offered which plans
    Read More
  • Ford to invest $4bn in AV business segment by 2023
    July 31, 2018
    Auto giant Ford intends to invest $4bn by 2023 to develop an autonomous vehicle (AV) business unit. The new subsidiary will be located mainly at its Corktown campus in Detroit. Called Ford Autonomous Vehicles, the business will host the company’s self-driving systems integration, AV research and advanced engineering, AV transportation-as-a-service network development, user experience, business strategy and business development teams. A report by TechCrunch says the initiative includes a $1bn investment
    Read More
  • Flir Academy training courses
    January 7, 2016
    FLIR Traficon Academy is organising a variety of online training in January 2016, including ITS solutions for traffic management and Flir ThermiCam, where participants can learn how its ThermiCam/TrafiSense sensor can be used for pedestrian presence detection, bicycle presence detection, vehicle presence detection, inverse direction detection, and data collection. The company is also offering traffic training on intersections and crossings in May. Visit the Flir website for more information on the ran
    Read More

Highlighted Content