Uber Kills Its Self-Driving Truck Division

TEXAS. Truck drivers face long hours, low wages, and are subject to making the same mistakes behind the wheel a passenger vehicle driver can make. Unfortunately, when a truck driver makes a mistake, he or she is in control of a several ton vehicle. The consequences are much more serious. Victims and their families might suffer more serious injuries, face long-term recovery periods, and may even die in these crashes.

Self-driving technology was supposed to change all that. Replace human drivers with computers and the trucks would be able to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without the need to take a break. Self-driving trucks also wouldn’t be prone to human error. Despite the promise in the field of autonomous technology, self-driving trucks remain years away from being approved. Uber recently killed its self-driving truck division. While self-driving trucks likely remain years away from becoming a fixture in modern American life, there have already been test drives in which self-driving trucks successfully navigated highways with no incidents.

According to Tech Crunch, Uber is abandoning its self-driving truck division to focus its development power on self-driving cars. While Uber isn’t focusing on making trucks autonomous, its Uber Freight program remains open. This program connects truck drivers with loads that need to be shipped.

The decision to focus on self-driving cars rather than trucks is seen by many as being a good decision. Uber recently faced increased scrutiny after a pedestrian was killed in the first fatal self-driving car accident. The hope is that by narrowing its focus, it can improve its image.

Yet, according to the Technology Review, it is possible that self-driving trucks might be permitted on highways sooner than self-driving cars are allowed. Self-driving trucks could be relegated to highways and interstates where driving is more straightforward. Yet, does this make sense? The consequences of even a small error on a highway could be quite serious at these higher speeds.

As more self-driving trucks get tested on American roads, the risk for accidents is greater. In the event of an accident, the companies could be held responsible for any product defects. However, self-driving personal injury lawsuits are a new field where few precedents have been set. Who would be held responsible in a self-driving crash? The company who manufactures the car, a monitor in the vehicle to oversee safety, or technicians who may be monitoring the vehicle hundreds of miles away? These answers remain to be seen.

Until then, Texas truck drivers remain very much human and very much prone to human error. If you or a loved one was hurt in a truck accident in Texas, consider reaching out to the Cooper Law Firm. You and your family may be entitled to seek damages for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses. However, you may only have a limited amount of time to make a claim. Visit our firm at https://www.cooper-law-firm.com/ to protect your rights today.

Cooper Law Firm
501 N Third St,
Longview, TX 75601
Telephone: (903) 297-0037