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

  • Heliox delivers charging infrastructure for e-buses in Czech Republic
    November 13, 2018
    Heliox has delivered a fast-charging network for electric buses operating in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in a bid to reduce emissions. The deployment supports the country’s stated ambition to gradually phasing out diesel-powered buses. Heliox’s OC 450 kW chargers are expected to provide Ekova Electric’s e-buses with ‘opportunity charging’, which allows batteries to be charged several times during the work cycle (usually eight hours). The company says the system utilises a pantograph to begin chargin
    Read More
  • Engie unveils CNG station to refuel buses in West Africa
    December 18, 2018
    Engie and its engineering subsidiary Tractebel have installed a compressed natural gas (CNG) station in Ivory Coast, a country in West Africa, to refuel 50 buses. The station has been built as part of the Ivorian government’s commitment to the Paris COP 21 agreement to reduce emissions. Engie’s CNG fuelling station is located at transport company Société des Transports Abidjanais’ (SOTRA) premises in Yopougon, a suburb within the city of Abidjan. Once fully commissioned, it is anticipated to have a
    Read More
  • UK man refuses to take down fake speed camera on A1 road
    October 3, 2018
    A 72-year-old man living beside a major UK road has refused to take down a replica speed camera. The BBC report says Mike Lacey built the fake camera for £40 using drainpipe and guttering to slow drivers passing his house next to the A1 in Beeston, Bedfordshire. Lacey says authorities have asked him to remove the structure as it was distracting for drivers. The village is divided by a dual-carriageway with a speed limit of 50mph.
    Read More
  • Keolis Shanghai opens first section of Songjiang tram line
    January 9, 2019
    Keolis Shanghai, a joint venture with Shanghai Shentong Metro, has opened the first section of the Songjiang tram line, offering connections to Shanghai Metro Line 6. The first phase is expected to transport 170,00 passengers per day. The 13.9km route runs across Songjiang, a suburban district, and includes 20 stations from Canghua Rd station in the west to Zhongchen Rd station in the east which serves residential areas and universities. The service is being operated with 15 Citadis trams manufacture
    Read More

Highlighted Content