An autonomous Uber vehicle's emergency braking system was switched off in the critical seconds before the car fatally struck a pedestrian in Arizona earlier this year, a report found. The lethal March crash was the first known time a self-driving vehicle killed a pedestrian, and it raised grave questions about the future of the burgeoning autonomous vehicle industry. In the aftermath, Uber has suspended its self-driving car initiative in Arizona. In a preliminary report detailing how the accident occurred, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) noted that the car was equipped with an automatic emergency braking that does not function when the car is being controlled by its computer system, relying instead on a human to take over. Self-driving cars like the one involved in the crash have an autonomous mode, in which a computer does the driving, and a manual mode in which a human backup driver takes over.

A Tesla Model S driver has crashed into the back of a van while the car's autopilot, active cruise control and automatic emergency brake were activated. The driver, from Zurich, has blamed the crash on Tesla and claims the entire front of his car must be replaced. Many have been quick to point out that the autopilot system is in a testing phase, and Tesla warns all drivers that they should not surrender full control to the car. Since the video has gained popularity online, the driver - who wishes not the be named - has said the problem was not with autopilot, but with the automatic emergency brake and cruise control. A Tesla Model S driver has crashed into the back of a van while the car's autopilot and automatic emergency brake were activated.