Arizona pedestrian killed by Uber autonomous vehicle in 2018 crash leading to state shutdown of testing

Summary

Uber shut down its self-driving operations and autonomous vehicle (AV) research in Arizona in May 2018 following a fatal crash in Tempe on March 18, 2018, in which a pedestrian was struck and killed by an Uber AV. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey ordered an indefinite suspension of Uber’s AV testing in the state after reviewing video footage of the incident, which showed the safety driver not paying attention to the road. The shutdown affected around 200 employees in Arizona, many of whom were safety drivers. Uber stated it would continue AV research in Pittsburgh and San Francisco but would adopt a more limited testing approach once proper permits and safety improvements were in place. The incident and subsequent actions had significant implications for Uber’s AV initiatives and its reputation in the autonomous vehicle industry.