Uber crash put AVs at risk, and players must learn lessons

The industry knew that an incident like that of March 2018, in which a pedestrian was run down and killed by a self-driving car, was inevitable. What it might not have counted on was the grimly sensational circumstances in which the incident took place. Uber, a company beleaguered with scandal thanks largely to the actions of former Chief Executive Travis Kalanick, had put a self-driving vehicle on the road which, by accounts gleaned so far, wasn’t ready. Dashcam footage clearly showing pedestrian Elaine Herzberg seconds before impact did not improve the situation.