Uber set to test self-driving cars for passengers in Pittsburgh, with human backup

SAN FRANCISCO – In a few weeks, Uber will start using self-driving cars to carry passengers in Pittsburgh, raising the stakes in an intensifying race to deploy autonomous vehicles. The ride-hailing company said Thursday that customers will be able to opt into the test program, which will use autonomous Ford Fusions summoned through the touch of a smartphone. Although other companies are testing self-driving cars on public roads, this is the first time the public can get access to them. The rides, which come with a human backup driver to handle situations that the autonomous cars haven't seen, will be free to those willing to take part, the company said. Uber, which has a self-driving research lab in Pittsburgh, has no immediate plans to deploy autonomous cars beyond the Pittsburgh experiment.