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Arizona Suspends Uber Self-Driving Tests

Governor Doug Ducey called the accident an 'unquestionable failure' on Uber's part.

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Arizona Governor Doug Ducey has put the kibosh on Uber autonomous vehicle testing in the state following a fatal crash on March 18 in Tempe.

In a Monday letter to Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi, Ducey said he found a video of the accident, released last week by Tempe police, to be "disturbing and alarming, and it raises many questions about the ability of Uber to continue testing in Arizona." Ducey went on to say that he expects public safety to be "the top priority" of all firms that operate autonomous vehicles in the state.

The accident – believed to be first time an autonomous vehicle has killed a pedestrian on public roads – "is an unquestionable failure to comply with this expectation," Ducey continued. "In the best interests of the people of my state, I have directed the Arizona Department of Transportation to suspend Uber's ability to test and operate autonomous vehicles on Arizona's public roadways."

"Arizona will not tolerate any less than an unequivocal commitment to public safety," he wrote.

Uber has been testing its autonomous vehicles in Tempe since February 2017. Ducey originally welcomed them with open arms, and was among the first in the state to ride in one.

In response to the suspension, Uber pointed out that it already "proactively suspended self-driving operations in all cities immediately following the tragic incident last week." In addition to Tempe, Uber halted its self-driving trials in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and Toronto.

"We continue to help investigators in any way we can, and we'll keep a dialogue open with the Governor's office going forward," Uber added.

The National Transportation Safety Board and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are currently investigating the crash.

Video of the fatal accident shows the self-driving car failing to stop as 49-year-old pedestrian Elaine Herzberg crosses the middle of the road with her bicycle at night. The Uber vehicle, which was in self-driving mode and traveling at approximately 40mph, doesn't appear to slow down. Herzberg was transported to a nearby hospital, where she died.

Several rival autonomous vehicle technology makers have already weighed on the crash. Intel on Monday took a shot at Uber, suggesting its own driver assistance technology could have helped avoid the accident. Meanwhile, the CEO for Alphabet's self-driving car company Waymo reportedly said: "We have a lot of confidence that our technology would be able to handle a situation like that."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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