Uber—Uber self-driving car killed pedestrian Elaine Herzberg in first autonomous vehicle fatality
On March 18, 2018, an Uber autonomous test vehicle struck and killed Elaine Herzberg in Tempe, Arizona — the first known pedestrian fatality involving a self-driving car. The NTSB investigation revealed the vehicle's software detected Herzberg 6 seconds before impact but failed to classify her as a pedestrian or predict her path. The investigation found a 'lax attitude toward safety' at Uber's self-driving division, including disabled emergency braking. The backup driver pleaded guilty to endangerment in 2023.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Safety | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Consumer Protection | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.590 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.59)× agency (negligent ×0.5)
Evidence (1 signal)
NTSB investigation found Uber self-driving car had 'lax attitude toward safety' in Herzberg death
The NTSB investigation into the March 18, 2018 death of Elaine Herzberg found Uber's autonomous vehicle detected her 6 seconds before impact but failed to classify her as a pedestrian. Emergency braking had been disabled. The investigation revealed a 'lax attitude toward safety' at Uber's self-driving division. The backup driver pleaded guilty to endangerment in July 2023.