INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its preliminary report into the fatal Uber self-driving car crash in Arizona
that happened just over two months ago.While much of what's in the report has already been publicized, it does provide insight into the
breakdown of the night of March 18, when an Uber self-driving car in autonomous mode struck a pedestrian who was walking with her bike
The pedestrian later died of her injuries.The report outlines the equipment and systems found on the vehicle, including lidar, cameras,
disabled when a vehicle is in "computer mode" to avoid erratic driving
In these instances, the vehicle operator is expected to intervene, however the system doesn't alert the driver that they need to take
NTSBAs for the timeline right before and after impact, the car's lidar and radar sensors first noticed a something in the road about six
seconds before striking the pedestrian
impact, the car determined it needed to engage emergency braking, though again this feature was disabled because the car was in self-driving
During these moments, the driver told the NTSB in post-crash interviews, she was monitoring the car's self-driving interface.Video feeds
from the vehicle's outside cameras show the pedestrian, a 49-year-old woman, wearing dark clothing and not in the direction of the oncoming
vehicle before she was struck.The NTSB's initial report doesn't assign probable cause or fault in the accident, and the agency notes it's
car program and plans to incorporate the NTSB's findings into its self-driving systems
he expects the company's self-driving car tests to resume "in a few months," once the NTSB makes its conclusions, the proper permits have
been obtained, and after making safety adjustments.When Uber does begin testing self-driving cars again, it will be in a more limited
self-driving car program in the state, though it will resume tests in San Francisco, Toronto and Pittsburgh.twHyj4SyaQ8EV7LD9XDXzC.jpg#
