As Oregon Dithers on Rules, Arizona Woman Becomes First Person Killed By Self-Driving Car

Accident raises safety concerns as Oregon and other states grapple with tech companies race toward autonomous vehicles.

Traffic in Portland's Rose Quarter (Daniel Stindt)

A self-driving vehicle being tested by Uber in Arizona accidentally killed a woman crossing the street last week, the New York Times reports.

Uber, Google, General Motors and many other companies are racing to perfect self-driving vehicles, which safety experts say should be able to increase the safety of roads and highways because they hold the promise of eliminating human error, including drunken and distracted driving.

Earlier this year, Oregon lawmakers debated a bill that would establish a legal framework for the testing and useage of autonomous vehicles on Oregon roads. That bill stalled in committee.

Related: Self-Driving Cars Are Coming. Oregon Isn't Ready.

On Friday, the Times reports, a woman died in Tempe, Ariz., while crossing a street.

"The Uber vehicle was in autonomous mode with a human safety driver at the wheel when it struck the woman, who was crossing the street outside of a crosswalk, the Tempe police said in a statement," the Times reported. "The episode happened on Sunday around 10 p.m. The woman was not publicly identified."

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