It's all quiet on the western front as Arizona lawmakers see no immediate need for action following an Uber self-driving death.
Following the fatal car crash between an Uber self-driving Volvo SC90 and a pedestrian last week, many called for the ride-hailing company to halt its tech. The company has currently done that, but Arizona officials are hesitant about adding more laws to constrict or reprimand Uber self-driving tech.
According to Reuters, Kevin Biesty, Arizona's director for policy and communications at the state's department of transportation, said existing regulations were sufficient enough, and that no immediate plans have come up following the crash. Why? According to Biesty, new regulations do not equal more safety.
Pumping the Brakes
Other car companies and tech companies are using this tragedy as a learning opportunity. Toyota just announced it is stopping autonomous vehicle testing after the events in Tempe, and others are mulling over whether or not they want to suspend testing for the time being.
Facebook: Uber
But even while Uber self-driving testing is being put on hold in its multiple testing cities, including Tempe, the local lawmakers are confident that this isolated incident is just that. The call for stricter laws have been heard, but Arizona is still hopeful its current laws will contain issues like this.
A dash cam video of the death has been released but a full scope of details have not been made public. The pedestrian, Elaine Herzberg, was crossing the street when the Uber self-driving, operating in autonomous mode, struck her. Charges haven't been filed yet as the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix is awaiting results of the investigation.
This event poses the inevitable risk that autonomous vehicles like Uber self-driving SUV's pose. Where do you stand on this argument? Should self-driving tech slow down, speed up, or end?
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