Uber has announced the suspension of its self-driving vehicle testing in the state of Arizona.
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Uber announced today that it will stop its autonomous and self-driving vehicle testing in the state of Arizona. This is the latest update since a Volvo crossover modified by Uber and its autonomous vehicle technology partner struck and killed a woman crossing a two-lane divided roadway while walking a bicycle.
Related Background - Read why our opinion is that Uber was at fault in the death.
The news that Uber was permanently ending its autonomous vehicle research in Arizona was first reported by local news. KTAR news says that about 300 local jobs will be lost as a result of this change in Uber's direction.
Uber is reported to have commented on the decision to bail on Arizona, saying, "We’re committed to self-driving technology, and we look forward to returning to public roads in the near future. In the meantime, we remain focused on our top-to-bottom safety review, having brought on former (National Transportation Safety Board) Chair Christopher Hart to advise us on our overall safety culture.”
Back in March, Uber was ordered to stop testing its autonomous vehicles in Arizona by the state's Governor Doug Ducey. Ducey said he found the video evidence in the death to be "disturbing and alarming." Ducey went on to say the video footage of the crash, and Ubers apparently inattentive human safety backup driver, raised "...many questions about the ability of Uber to continue testing in Arizona."
Uber has had a string of bad news recently related to its self-driving and autonomous vehicle plans. In February Uber was forced to settle with another company after concerns over intellectual property from Google having been transferred to Uber improperly.
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