Jun 22, 2018 - Technology

Driver in fatal Arizona Uber crash was watching TV

Henrietta Reily

An Uber self-driving car on the road in San Francisco in March 2018, after Uber resumed their self-driving car program following a fatal crash. — Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty

A new police report investigating the self-driving Uber that fatally struck a pedestrial in Arizona in March revealed that the driver was streaming an episode of "The Voice" at the time of the accident — not watching the road, reports the BBC.

The details: The report found that car operator, Rafaela Vasquez, looked up from her phone screen just half a second before the crash. The car was moving at 44 mph and did not brake before the accident.

The big picture: The footage released after the accident sparked outrage across the country, and Uber put their self-driving car program on hold temporarily. The American Automobile Association conducted a survey shortly after the crash measuring trust in self-driving technology, and found that 73% of Americans would be afraid to ride in autonomous vehicles, even though self-driving cars have the potential to reduce accident-related fatalities.

What they're saying: An Uber spokesman said in an emailed statement that mobile device usage by self-driving car operators is a fireable offense, and the company is planning more changes to the program that will be announced soon.

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Driver in fatal Arizona Uber crash was watching TV

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