One of the test cars Argo AI operates in its Pittsburgh fleet was involved in an accident on Wednesday, with two people sent to hospital (in stable condition) with injuries as a result of the accident. The incident appears to have been caused by a light box truck driving through a red light, rather than by Argo’s test vehicle, based on an early traffic report.
The self-driving car was T-boned by the truck, and two of the Argo car’s four occupants were the ones who ended up in hospital. Ford provided the following statement regarding the accident when contacted by TechCrunch:
We’re aware that an Argo AI test vehicle was involved in an accident. We’re gathering all the information. Our initial focus is on making sure that everyone involved is safe.
It’s never good news when an automobile is involved in an accident, obviously, but in this case since it appears to clearly be the result of human error, it’s better news than it might otherwise have been given the circumstances. Autonomous vehicles still have a long way to go to earn human trust, after all.