Ambitions to introduce driverless cars have suffered a setback after a pedestrian was killed in a collision with an autonomous vehicle in Arizona.

 

A Volvo XC90 on test by Uber was travelling at around 40mph through the city of Tempe when it hit a 49 year old woman who walked out in front of the vehicle while pushing a bicycle. Police confirmed that the self driving vehicle was in autonomous mode and the driver showed no signs of impairment at the time of the collision.

 

“Our preliminary investigation did not show signs of the vehicle slowing down, but conclusions will come at the end of the (full) investigation,” Sergeant Ronald Elcock told a press conference.

 

Uber said in a statement: “Our hearts go out to the victim’s family. We’re fully cooperating with Tempe Police and local authorities as they investigate this incident.”

 

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday, CIHT Road Safety Panel member Kate Carpenter FCIHT said computers can and will make mistakes, but there is “massive scope for them to be a lot better than humans”.

 

She called for there to be a requirement for all incidents to be recorded “so that data is collected and we can identify the potential errors that a computer may make and how they are similar and different from errors a human may make”, allowing for the technology to improve.

 

Kate also said there are benefits of increasing automation, but warned that some drivers have been found to pay less attention to the remaining motoring tasks for which they are responsible when behind the wheel of a semi autonomous vehicle.

 

Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ head of engineering Dr Jenifer Baxter said that the incident draws attention to the challenges of incorporating autonomous vehicles into an incumbent system operating with conventional vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians.

 

She added there are societal questions that need addressing before highly and fully automated cars are both accepted and legally able to be positioned on our roads. There is also need, she added, to have the right regulatory framework in place.

 

“Engineers will need to create an environment where connected autonomous vehicles can operate safely with or without an operator during the transition period to a fully autonomous vehicle system,” she said. “This transition period could last for several decades.”