In March 2018, an Uber autonomous vehicle failed to detect a woman as she crossed a shadowy area of an Arizona street and struck her. She died, and the self-driving industry took a major hit. As a result of the accident, automakers have taken a fresh look at the way they test autonomous cars in New York and around the world.
Pedestrian death rate highest in 28 years
According to data gathered by the Governors Highway Safety Association, there were an estimated 6,227 pedestrian deaths in 2018. That was the highest number since 1990, and it represents a 35 percent increase from 2008. There were a number of reasons why New York pedestrians were being killed at higher rates, and they include distracted driving and walking as well as drug and alcohol use.
