The family of the woman killed by an Uber self-driving vehicle in Arizona has reached a settlement with the controversial ride hailing app company, ending a potential legal battle over the first fatality caused by an autonomous vehicle.
Self-Driving Car Development Problems
Full terms of the settlement were not publicly disclosed as the family now consider the matter closed and want time to come to terms with their loss. The incident also has the potential to stall development of self-driving vehicles which are being designed to be far better than relying on human intervention. Uber and microchip developer Nvidia Corp have put self-driving car testing programmes on hold following the fatality, which is believed to be the first death of a pedestrian struck by a self-driving vehicle. The fatality also presents an unprecedented liability challenge because self-driving vehicles, which are still in the development stage, involve a complex system of hardware and software often made by outside suppliers.
Meanwhile, Nvidia Corp has sought to distance itself from Uber, noting it does not use Nvidia’s self-driving platform architecture. Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang, noted: “Uber does not use Nvidia drive technology. Uber develops its own sensing and drive technology,”
The incident also has the potential to stall development of self-driving vehicles which are being designed to be far better than relying on human intervention.
Need for Safety Considerations
This sad tale is the latest in a catalogue of incidents involving Uber. Public confidence is likely to be shaken in the new technology and it is unlikely that self-driving technology will be appearing on any UK rank soon. It is important that ride-hailing apps and software developers do not play fast and loose with people’s lives by testing in public.