Witness says self-driving Uber ran red light on its own, disputing Uber's claims

An autonomous Uber malfunctioned while in "self-driving mode" and caused a near collision in San Francisco, according to a business owner whose account raises new safety concerns about the unregulated technology launch. The self-driving car – which Uber introduced without permits, as part of a testing program that California has deemed illegal – accelerated into an intersection while the light was still red and while the automation technology was clearly controlling the car, said Christopher Koff, owner of local cafe AK Subs. Self-driving cars: Uber's open defiance of California shines light on brazen tactics "It looked like the car ran the red light on its own," Koff, 49, said of the self-driving Uber Volvo, which has a driver in the front seat who can take control when needed. Another car that had the green light had to "slam the brakes" to avoid a crash, he said. Koff's story, which advocacy group Consumer Watchdog shared with state officials on Tuesday, directly contradicts Uber's public claims that red-light violations have been the result of "human error" and that the drivers, not the technology, have failed to follow traffic laws.