Uber—Uber self-driving test vehicle killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in first autonomous car fatality
On March 18, 2018, an Uber self-driving test vehicle (modified Volvo XC90) struck and killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona, at 45 mph. This was the first recorded pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving car. NTSB found the vehicle's software failed to classify Herzberg as a pedestrian (cycling through 'unknown object', 'vehicle', and 'bicycle'), and Uber had disabled Volvo's automatic emergency braking. The safety driver was watching TV on her phone. NTSB cited Uber's inadequate safety culture, lack of formal safety plan, and reduction from two to one test drivers per vehicle.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.752 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.75)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (3 signals)
Uber safety driver Rafaela Vasquez pleaded guilty to endangerment for watching TV during fatal self-driving crash
In July 2023, Rafaela Vasquez, the safety driver in Uber's self-driving test vehicle, pleaded guilty to an undesignated felony and was sentenced to three years of supervised probation. Vasquez had been streaming 'The Voice' on her phone and was looking down in the moments before the vehicle struck Elaine Herzberg at 38 mph. She was glancing away from the road during 34% of the fatal trip. Arizona prosecutors separately ruled Uber was not criminally liable.
NTSB investigation found Uber's inadequate safety culture caused first autonomous vehicle pedestrian fatality
NTSB determined that the March 18, 2018 death of Elaine Herzberg was caused by the vehicle operator's distraction and Uber ATG's inadequate safety risk assessment, ineffective oversight of operators, and lack of a formal safety plan. Uber had disabled Volvo's automatic emergency braking and reduced test drivers from two to one per vehicle five months before the crash.
IEEE Spectrum analysis revealed Uber ATG had 37 prior autonomous crashes and no formal safety plan before fatal crash
IEEE Spectrum's analysis of NTSB findings revealed that between September 2016 and March 2018, there had been 37 other crashes and incidents involving Uber's self-driving test vehicles in autonomous mode. Uber ATG had no standalone safety division, no safety manager, no formal safety plan, and no standardized operations procedure. Uber had reduced test drivers from two to one per vehicle five months before the fatality and did not monitor its anti-cell phone policy.