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

  • Sigma breaks into the French tolling market with deal for Sanef
    March 20, 2018
    Italian vending solutions provider Sigma has entered the French tolling market by supplying self-service payment machines to Sanef, Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France. Sigma’s cash and electronic payment units are being installed on the motorways A1, A13, A26 and A29. The French deals comes after a recent similar contract in Austria where highways operator Asfinag ordered the TP1000. SIGMA says that it remains the sole supplier of self-service payment machines in Austrian tolled m
    Read More
  • Big data analytics for congestion management programs
    January 21, 2015
    Iteris is presenting its Big Data Analytics for Congestion Management Programs webinar on Wednesday, 28 January 28at 11 am PST. Traditionally, transportation system performance and congestion monitoring has been limited to using floating car surveys and traffic count data. Data from these conventional methods covered a limited number of observations. With technological advancements, massive traffic data from infrastructure sensors and vehicle probes have become increasingly available. This new and rich d
    Read More
  • CARD4B shows WildCard Ticketing kernel software at CARTES 2013
    November 19, 2013
    SESAMES Award finalist CARD4B is showcasing its TickeGO-compliant WildCard Ticketing Kernel software at CARTES 2013. The middleware embraces multiple customer-media technologies (such as Calypso, Mifare, NFC, 2D bar code), multiple terminals and operating-systems and provides business rules to support multi card-schema, embedded into any terminal or online behind a web service for web or mobile apps, and covers all ATFC functions. It is complemented by a XML-based card data model Editor visual tool t
    Read More
  • European Transport Conference 2014
    July 8, 2014
    The European Transport Conference 2014, taking place in Frankfurt, Germany, on 29 September to 1 October, has extended the transport modelling element of the conference to two modelling streams: one for demand modellers and one for assignment modellers. These include sessions on: activity and tour based modelling; multi mode modelling; rail and air; highway and public transport assignment; dynamic traffic assignment modelling for real time control of traffic signals; and traffic micro-simulation Session
    Read More

Highlighted Content