Self-Driving Uber Apparently Runs Red Light In San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- A self-driving Uber car was caught on camera apparently running a red light in San Francisco Wednesday.
Uber launched the fleet of self-driving Volvo SUV's Wednesday morning, just hours before the incident.
Dashboard video from a Luxor Cab captured the Volvo apparently running the light after the taxi had stopped for the light. Just in front of the SFMOMA building.
There was also a second incident reported by Twitter user Annie Gaus Wednesday morning. She initially posted at 9:48 a.m. that she saw "a 'self-driving' Uber" that entered the intersection on Van Ness Avenue on a red light and nearly hit the Lyft car she was riding in.
Just passed a 'self-driving' Uber that lurched into the intersection on Van Ness, on a red, nearly hitting my Lyft.
— Annie "back in the office" Gaus (@AnnieGaus) December 14, 2016
Moments later, she posted an image out of the back window of the Lyft that showed the Uber vehicle in the intersection.
(Not enough time to get a good shot, but...whoops!) pic.twitter.com/XK49nMF2Q4
— Annie "back in the office" Gaus (@AnnieGaus) December 14, 2016
According to Uber, the cars aren't yet ready to hit the streets without someone monitoring them, meaning someone from the company was likely behind the wheel. A statement issued by Uber Wednesday afternoon attributed the red-light being run in the video to an error by the person monitoring the car.
"This incident was due to human error," the statement read. "This is why we believe so much in making the roads safer by building self-driving Ubers. This vehicle was not part of the pilot and was not carrying customers. The driver involved has been suspended while we continue to investigate."
State regulators said Wednesday afternoon that Uber must stop the self-driving car service until it receives a permit from the state.