Footage Shows Uber's Autonomous Car Failing To See The Pedestrian It Hit
Police investigating the first pedestrian fatality caused by an autonomous car have released footage of how the tragic accident occurred.
We’ve chosen not to embed the Uber-operated car’s footage here because, although it stops a split-second before the fateful impact itself, by its nature it’s disturbing to watch. If you wish, you can view it on Twitter here, but we’ve offered fair warning.
Crucially, this footage shows that Elaine Herzberg, 49, didn’t simply dart out into the road as had previously been reported: she was crossing it in what should have been plain sight of the sensor array. That the car apparently didn’t detect her at all is terrifying.
The car’s interior camera shows the human back-up driver looking down for long moments before the crash. From this footage the driver wouldn’t have had much warning from the car’s dipped headlights, but the human eye can see greater contrast than the camera can, and could potentially have seen Herzberg crossing if it hadn’t been for whatever the lap-sited distraction was.
Local police in Tempe, Arizona, have reported that the Uber prototype was travelling at 38mph in a 35mph-limited area; something we thought autonomous cars wouldn’t allow. Travelling slower, the car may have missed Herzberg altogether or given the driver more time to react. Judging by the evidence here, this accident was totally preventable by both machine and human.
Comments
This is what I fear in autonomous vehicles. A small bug, a lapse in the code, a brief moment of miscalculation or simply the sensors not picking something up at the wrong moment and cause a catastrophe.
kind of like a driver not paying attention on the road?
Conchita here will have some long hours explaining to the judge, what the hell was she doing during this accident. Blame the person behind the wheel if you ask me. She had one job!
so it was the fault of the driver then. We are not at level 5 autonomy yet drivers still should still be staying focused
This is why autonomous cars shouldn’t exist
And bad drivers…
This is the first time I see a video with an autonomous driving mode active at night - it is scary. I don’t know if even a human reaction is enough in this case also… but most certainly the human can see a shadow or something an react much earlier.
I guess ambient light/infrared sensor should detect how much light there is and stop the car / not activate at all if it is less than the required value.
The police have stated that the pedestrian was at fault, this is only news because there was an autonomous car, if it wasn’t we’d just have a second-page local news headline reading “jaywalker hit by car, one dead, no charges pressed against driver”.
Isn’t that person still jaywalking tho? I mean regardless of anything else they still shouldn’t have crossed there
Here’s my two cents. I live a little out of the main part of town so the lighting isn’t always the greatest, so I wear a reflective jacket when I would go out for a walk at night because even wearing brightly coloured clothes at night is still hard to see and there isn’t always a sidewalk available.
While I’ve been driving for the past 10 years in the same area, there have been plenty of times even in reasonably lit areas where I couldn’t see someone until I was moments from passing them. I like to give cyclists and pedestrians a wide berth, but sometimes you just can’t see them and it gives you a scare.
The car and driver were going speeds I’d expect any driver to be going, and I know cameras for the most part don’t film well in low light, so I assume it’s brighter than it is. You see the driver glance up a while before and if it really was bright enough, maybe would have seen the cyclist. Therefore I can’t say with confidence this could have been avoided.
There are laws in place for a reason so people have rules to follow while they’re on the road, for drivers cyclists and pedestrians. The driver was obviously distracted, but the cyclist was jaywalking with not reflective gear or even a sense of urgency. You expect people at crosswalks, not 4 lane highways. Lot’s could have been done differently, but UBER can’t be 100% at fault here, that wouldn’t make sense.
All the news showing how Uber absolve from responsibility and the government is helping it. Now we all blame the safety driver. But what’s the job regulation? Even she is Neglect of duty, I don’t think she look like as a professional to be involved to this High-risk high-technology test item project. Or Death accident soon or later actually is their anticipation plan , to see what’s people really want. What the cost to being accepted. Last question is which kind of people really gain the advantage just like Xspace?
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dawyer dawyer • 2 hours ago
a studies say how people’s brain keep FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION which is very simple. that is just keep doing something you enjoying. And all the time vehicle engineer and designer is All the news showing how Uber absolve from responsibility and the government is helping it. Now we all blame the safety driver. But what’s the job regulation? Even she is Neglect of duty, I don’t think she look like as a professional to be involved to this High-risk high-technology test item project. Or Death accident soon or later actually is their anticipation plan , to see what’s people really want. What the cost to being accepted. Last question is which kind of people really gain the advantage just like Xspace?
a studies say how people’s brain keep FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION which is very simple. that is just keep doing something you enjoying. And all the time vehicle engineer and designer is working on to fulfill this to let driver keep FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION on the road. Self-driving car designed to set up a Safety-driver is really antithetic against all of it. So It’s not hard to question it is a scapegoated matter for protective precautions to Big business.working on to fulfill this to let driver keep FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION on the road. Self-driving car designed to set up a Safety-driver is really antithetic against all of it. So It’s not hard to question it is a scapegoated matter for protective precautions to Big business.
Watch such comments showing full double standard !! When is the safety and life of pedestrians less important than other things? Although vehicle designed giving people convenient benefits BUT still should be to place people’s safety and life in first priority not only driver and passenger. Somehow insurance big business blurred this line. More accident means more income. Now. an autonomous car is a another opportunity to make money caused by people scared and need indemnification.