Self-Driving Uber Car Filmed Running a Red; California Shuts Down Pilot Program

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Uber proudly released a fleet of eleven driverless Volvos onto the streets of San Francisco Wednesday morning and one or two immediately started running amok. One person tweeted about seeing a self-driving vehicle nearly hitting another car, while another posted a video showing an autonomous tech-equipped XC90 breezing through a red light and active pedestrian cross-walk.

Before the end of the program’s first day, people were clamoring for Uber to explain the incidents and the California Department of Motor Vehicles had sent the ride-hailing company a cease and desist letter for operating without a permit.

Initially reported by the San Francisco Examiner, the video — taken from a Luxor taxicab dash-cam — shows the autonomous Uber ignoring a red signal around 10:37 yesterday morning. Later that same morning, freelance writer and producer Annie Gaus tweeted that she, “Just passed a ‘self-driving’ Uber that lurched into the intersection on Van Ness [Avenue], on a red, nearly hitting my Lyft.”

Speaking with the Examiner, Gaus explained the Uber vehicle darted out across Union Street on a red light, and nearly hit the Lyft car she was riding in. “It was close enough that both myself and the driver reacted and were like, ‘Shit,’” she said. “It stopped suddenly and stayed like that, as you see in the [tweeted] photo.”

Uber released an official statement that claims the incident in the video was caused by human error and not the technology. “This incident was due to human error. This is why we believe so much in making the roads safer by building self-driving Ubers. This vehicle was not part of the pilot and was not carrying customers. The driver involved has been suspended while we continue to investigate.”

That’s not reassuring, considering it really looks like one of the Volvo SUVs from the pilot, and the best case scenario is that the company has had trouble hiring competent motorists. Uber employees are required to keep their hands on the self-driving vehicle’s controls at all times, so even a technical snafu should be solved by operator intervention. However, that hasn’t kept Uber test vehicles in the Pittsburgh trials from having mishaps. In September, reports surfaced of self-driving Ford Fusions involved in wrong-way driving and a minor fender-bender.

Uber has been ordered by state regulators to immediately stop using self-driving cars in California. It may be allowed to return to public testing after it secures the necessary state permit that allows companies to operate autonomous vehicles on public roads. The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a statement stating that Uber was expected to secure such a permit, but Uber maintained that it was unnecessary because its vehicles are fully self-driving — requiring them to have a driver on board at all times.

“If Uber does not confirm immediately that it will stop its launch and seek a testing permit, the DMV will initiate legal action,” wrote DMV attorney Brian Soublet in a letter addressed to Anthony Levandowski, who runs Uber’s autonomous car programs.

As of now, roughly twenty companies have received the DMV permits needed to test on California roads, including Ford, Google, and Tesla.

[Image: Volvo]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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