It’s been more than eight months since one of Uber’s cars struck and killed an Arizona woman while the vehicle was in self-driving mode. The company grounded its fleet while internal and federal investigations were underway. Now, Uber aims to return to testing on public streets.
Uber issued the results of an internal review in July, and cars once again hit Pittsburgh roads, albeit piloted by humans.
In order to test in self-driving mode in Pittsburgh, the company first needs a letter of authorization from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. In addition, the cars must pass a series of “rigorous track tests,” spokesperson Sarah Abboud wrote in an email. While the company is working to get on the roads, it “would never compromise safety in order to get there,” she wrote.
However, just last month, Uber’s self-driving cars were still failing test tracks, according to company emails obtained by the New York Times.
The company’s plan is to engage self-driving mode on a mile loop between two of its office buildings. The cars will travel at or below 25 mph and won’t drive at night or in wet weather.
