Thursday, 09 November 2017

Self-driving shuttle bus in crash on first day

BBC reports that an autonomous shuttle bus in Las Vegas has been involved in a crash on its first day of service.

The shuttle bus is the first to be used on public roads in the US and was carrying 'several' passengers – none of whom were injured during the incident which saw the vehicle hit by a lorry driving at low speed. Officials say the crash was due to human error – that of the lorry driver who was issued a ticket by police.

The shuttle is able to transport up to 15 people with a maximum speed of 45km/h but typically travels at around 25 km/h. It uses a system developed by Navya which is undergoing testing in London.

Public information officer for the City of Las Vegas, Jace Radke said, 'The shuttle did what it was supposed to do and stopped. Unfortunately the human element, the driver of the truck, didn't stop.'

A study from the RAND Corporation, published this week, argued that self-driving technology should be rolled out despite its imperfections.

'Waiting for highly autonomous vehicles that are many times safer than human drivers misses opportunities to save lives,' the report said.

'It is the very definition of allowing perfect to be the enemy of good.'