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Uber Suspends Self-Riding Car Tests Amidst Crash

The race to make self-driving cars the new normal has hit a speed bump. At least it has for Uber. The tech giant announced that it is suspending its self-driving car program following a Tempe, Arizona high-impact crash one of its autonomous vehicles was involved in.

A photo gone viral on Twitter saw one of Uber’s Volvo autonomous SUVs pictured next to another car complete with dents and shattered windows. A spokesperson for Uber confirmed the accident. The company followed the conformation up with an announcement that the ride-sharing company will be suspending further testing until they complete a thorough investigation.

According to Tempe police officer, Josie Montenegro, the Uber vehicle was not at fault. The officer also reported no injuries. He continued on by telling Bloomberg News that another car did not yield to the Uber car, causing the self-driving Volvo SUV to flip onto its side. Montenegro stated, “There was a person behind the wheel. It is uncertain at this time if they were controlling the vehicle at the time of the collision.”


Uber began experimenting with autonomous vehicles last year in Pittsburgh. Testing in those facilities have ceased following this accident as well. Since last year’s launch, the testing expanded to Arizona once California’s Department of Motor Vehicles banned self-driving cars from the streets of San Francisco.

Once Uber brought their self-driving cars to Tempe, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey became the first to ride in one. A fan of the idea, Ducey believes in the future of technology and what it can do to benefit the citizens of Arizona. Uber is still investigating this situation, and plans to make adjustments necessary for future test runs.