That triggered what Uber called action suppression, in which the system held off braking for one second while it verified the nature of the detected hazarda second during which the safety operator, Ubers most important and last line of defense, could have taken control of the car and hit the brakes herself. But Vasquez wasnt looking at the road during that second. So with 0.2 seconds left before impact, the car sounded an audio alarm, and Vasquez took the steering wheel, disengaging the autonomous system. Nearly a full second after striking Herzberg, Vasquez hit the brakes.
In a statement, an Uber spokesperson said that the company regrets the 2018 crash, and emphasized that its Advanced Technologies Group has made changes to its safety program. According to Uber documents submitted to the NTSB as part of the investigation, Uber has changed its safety driver training in the 20 months since, and now puts two safety operators in each car. (Today, Uber tests self-driving cars in Pittsburgh, and will launch testing in Dallas this month.) The company has also changed the structure of its safety team and created a system where workers can anonymously report safety issues. We deeply value the thoroughness of the NTSBs investigation, the spokesperson added.
Another factor in the crash was the Tempe road structure itself. Herzberg, wheeling a bicycle, crossed the street near a pathway that appeared purpose-built for walkers, but was 360 feet from the nearest crosswalk.
On November 19, the NTSB will hold a meeting on the incident in Washington, DC. Investigators will then release a comprehensive report on the crash, detailing what happened and who or what was at fault. Investigators will also make recommendations to federal regulators and to companies like Uber building the tech outlining how to prevent crashes like this in the future.
For Herzberg, of course, its too late. Her family settled a lawsuit with Uber just 11 days after the crash.