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

  • CAMEA WIM is type approved and turnkey for weigh-in-motion
    October 23, 2012
    CAMEA WIM, developed and manufactured by CAMEA image and signal processing, is a turnkey solution for weigh-in-motion applications, from traffic reports to enforcement. According to CAMEA, the high speed system allows vehicles thought to be overloaded to be pre-selected and directed to a precise weigh station without impact on traffic flow. The CAMEA WIM – type approved for weight enforcement in the Czech Republic – also provides rich sets of traffic data in database format for export in standard formats.
    Read More
  • USDOT offers free public workshops at ITS America 2016 San Jose
    May 26, 2016
    The US Department of Transportation (USDOT) is partnering with ITS America to host two free public workshops at ITS America 2016 San Jose in June. These workshops will discuss connected vehicle architecture, standards and software tools, as well as provide new training on developing a plan for deploying a connected vehicle environment. The Connected Vehicle Architecture Workshop takes place on 16 June at 0900-1230 BST in the Almaden Ballroom of the Hilton San Jose Hotel. It will cover connected vehicle a
    Read More
  • Association News on ITS
    June 20, 2016
    Association news from around the globe; Austria, Norway, Czech Republic & Slovakia associations share plans for C-ITS. ITS UK thinks countries boasting that legal autonomous vehicles will become a regular feature on their roads are straying far from the case. ITS Australia debates driverless vehicles and Eu ecall helped on its way.
    Read More
  • Driver assisted truck platooning: webinar
    April 22, 2014
    Ertico-ITS Europe’s latest webinar, Driver Assisted Truck Platooning: Evaluation, Testing, and Stakeholder Engagement for Near Term Deployment will be held on 25 April at 1600-1700. Driver assisted truck platooning, enabled by V2V communications, offers substantial fuel economy and safety benefits for long haul trucking. A project started in 2013 under the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Exploratory Advanced Research program has funded Auburn University, Peloton, Peterbilt Trucks, Meritor-Wabco
    Read More

Highlighted Content