Operating in Autonomous Mode, Uber Self-Driving Vehicle Involved in Crash:

A tumultuous time for Uber continues.

One of the company’s autonomous vehicles was involved in a collision Friday in Tempe, Arizona. The incident has prompted company executives to ground their fleet of self-driving Volvo XC90s in Arizona while an investigation takes place.

An Uber spokesperson said the vehicle’s autonomous mode was engaged at the time of the crash. Tempe police said the Uber vehicle was not to blame for the three-car crash.

No serious injuries were reported. The crash occurred as the Uber vehicle drove southbound on McClintock Drive, a major arterial road in the city. A northbound vehicle failed to yield to the Uber SUV while making a left turn onto Don Carlos Drive, according to a police spokesperson. Photos taken at the scene show the XC90 on its right side with its lights on.

“We are continuing to look into this incident and can confirm we had no back-seat passengers in the vehicle,” an Uber spokesperson said Saturday. There was no immediate time frame given for conducting the investigation and potentially getting the vehicles back on the road.

The car was part of a pilot project operating in Tempe that allows users of the company’s regular ride-hailing service to summon autonomous vehicles. Uber started the project in Pittsburgh last September and added the Tempe-area vehicles earlier this month. Human safety engineers remain behind the wheel of the vehicles.

This is the first known crash involving Uber’s self-driving vehicles, and it comes on the heels of multiple reports that detailed the company’s troubles in fine-tuning its self-driving technology.

Last week, internal documents revealed the disengagement rate of the company’s autonomous vehicles—the rate at which human drivers needed to intervene—was slightly less than once per mile. During the week ending March 8, the company’s 43 active cars on the road drove an average of 0.8 mile before requiring driver intervention, according to the website Recode.net. That’s down slightly from a one-disengagement-per-mile rate achieved in February and a 0.9-per-mile average in January, the news outlet reported.

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“We are continuing to look into this incident and can confirm we had no back-seat passengers in the vehicle.”
– Uber statement on Arizona crash

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Last week, Uber president Jeff Jones announced his resignation after only six months with the company, citing personal beliefs that are “inconsistent with what I saw and experienced at Uber.” His comments come following high-profile accusations of sexual discrimination that allegedly runs rampant through the company.

Separately, one of Uber’s top competitors, Waymo, the independent company formerly known as Google’s self-driving-car project, filed a lawsuit last month against Uber, alleging its top automated-driving executive absconded with more than 14,000 documents related to intellectual property and trade secrets obtained during his tenure at Google that he used in pursuing self-driving technology at Uber.

• Uber’s Secret “Greyball” Program Allegedly Targets Law Enforcement
• Waymo Sues Uber, Alleging Top Exec Stole Self-Driving Secrets
• Whoa, Pittsburgh Mayor Is Really Ticked Off at Uber

That’s the latest in a laundry list of problems for Uber’s self-driving division. In December, the California DMV revoked the registrations of the company’s vehicles after Uber began testing in the state without a permit. Separately, the California DMV is reviewing the legality of the company’s self-driving-truck testing in the state.

Given the spate of problems, initial reports that Friday’s crash is the fault of another driver might be the best news Uber has received in a long time.

MAKE NEW FRIENDS WITH NEIGHBORLY ADVICE:

If you’ve recently moved to a new home, you may need a little help learning about your new neighborhood. This can be a lonely endeavor, especially when you’re the “new kid on the block”. Here are six useful tips to help you meet new neighbors and transition into your new community.

1) Find the “common ground”
One of the easiest ways to meet people in your neighborhood is to find out where people gather and go there. If you’ve moved during the summer and your neighborhood has a pool, take a few hours away from your unpacking duties and literally get your feet wet.

Pay attention to the pattern of neighbors’ activities – do they sit on their front porches in the evenings? Gather at their mailboxes in the afternoons? Stop to chat while taking their morning walks? Once you notice a pattern, make sure you’re outside during these times so you’re available to meet them. And don’t forget, a nearby market or coffee shop might also be a local hangout.

2) Use your children
If you have children, it’s often easier to meet neighbors and to make new friends. Keep an eye out for parents of children who seem to be close in age to your own, then go introduce yourself and your kids.

Suggest a play date to get the kids (and the adults) acquainted. If school is in session, go to the bus stop to meet several other parents. Volunteering at school or joining the parent organization promises to connect you with other adults interested in the similar things.

3) Knock on doors
Your new neighbors may be interested in meeting you, but might feel like you’re too busy unpacking and settling in to be bothered with an unexpected visit. That’s why you need to take the first step by knocking on their doors.

Be sure to take a piece of paper with your name, the names of your family members and your phone number written down, and ask them to write down the same information for you. Then, it won’t be hard to remember names later.

If you need an excuse other than to just introduce yourself, inquire about trash or lawn service or request suggestions for area restaurants or exercise facilities. Remember to be considerate. If you see a neighbor get home with a carload full of groceries, you might want to wait until later to visit.

4) Volunteer
If you aren’t meeting enough people in your neighborhood to satisfy your social cravings, or if you don’t live in a neighborhood setting, then cast your net a little wider by seeking out volunteer opportunities.
Your local Chamber of Commerce can give you a list of volunteer organizations or you can search on the Internet for organizations based on your personal interests. City Council meetings and Board of Education meetings also promise to be a good place to meet others who live in your community and they will be a wealth of information for you about your new surroundings.

5) Join a gym, exercise group or team
An exercise facility that offers a wide variety of classes and meeting times would also be a great way to meet others who are interested in physical fitness. Similarly, a community center could help you get connected in team or intramural sports, where you’re also likely to develop lasting friendships.

Depending on your appetite for exercise, you might also try to join a local running or walking club as an alternative to a gym membership. Communities with parks inevitably host active groups with a number of fitness interests.

6) Be a good neighbor
One of the best ways to make new friends is to be a good friend and neighbor. On move-in day, be considerate about where you park your car and moving truck so you don’t block a driveway or cause a neighbor’s mail to go undelivered. In the days that follow, don’t leave lots of trash sitting by your curb without checking to see when it will be picked up.

Expect that some people will drop in to introduce themselves and their timing might not be the best. Be courteous, thank neighbors for coming by and invite them in if at all possible. It may help to have a few glasses or coffee mugs unpacked so you can “entertain” these visitors briefly. And don’t forget to promptly send thank you cards to anyone who drops off bagels, a casserole or other welcoming gifts.