The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has approved Uber's request to resume testing of autonomous vehicles on public roads in the Pittsburgh area. Uber’s self-driving Volvo SUV detected Elaine Herzberg, who was crossing outside a sidewalk, six seconds before the fatal collision in March. Uber had shut off the Volvo’s automatic emergency braking feature, because it complicated driverless testing. It also funded researchers working to spur development of independent driverless safety tests. While Hart was head of the National Transportation Safety Board, he said in 2016 that automation was the best way to improve road safety but that the transition would include deadly incidents.

Source: Washington Post December 20, 2018 13:44 UTC