The self-driving Uber in the Arizona crash was hit crossing an intersection on yellow

quote:

---

The self-driving Uber was not at fault when the accident occurred, according to a spokesperson for the Tempe, Arizona police department. But the incident shows how humans may still be better equipped to handle some complex driving scenarios where the rules of the road shouldn't necessarily apply.

---

quote:

---

Alexandra Cole, the driver of the Honda CR-V, was attempting to make a left turn across three lanes of traffic when the accident occurred. Cole managed to drive across the first two lanes, which were backed up with cars, and thought she was clear to cross the third. "As far as I could tell, the third lane had no one coming in it so I was clear to make my turn," Cole said in the police report. "Right as I got to the middle lane about to cross the third I saw a car flying through the intersection, but couldn't brake fast enough to completely avoid collision." Uber's self-driving Volvo was driving through a yellow light at 38 mph, just below the speed limit, when it was hit by the Honda. The Uber then drove into a traffic pole and flipped onto its side as a result of the collision. No one was seriously injured in the accident.

---

quote:

---

Patrick Murphy, the Uber employee behind the wheel of the self-driving car, wrote in the report that he saw the Honda turning left, but that there was "no time to react" as traffic in the first two lanes had created a blind spot. In terms of programming, the self-driving Uber did everything by the book. It had the right of way approaching a yellow light, and therefore zipped right through. But one has to wonder whether a human driver, approaching the busy intersection while the light was turning yellow, may have slowed down

---