PITTSBURGH — Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation has approved Uber’s request to resume testing autonomous vehicles on public roads in the Pittsburgh area.
The approval was effective Monday and lasts one year. It comes about nine months after one of Uber’s autonomous test vehicles hit and killed an Arizona pedestrian.
A department spokeswoman says Uber can test throughout Allegheny County, where Pittsburgh is located.
If Uber’s cars go more than 25 miles per hour (40 kph), they must have a second human backup driver on board. One human backup is allowed at speeds below 25 mph.
Uber spokeswoman Sarah Abboud confirmed the approval but declined to say when the testing would resume.
Pennsylvania suspended testing after the fatal crash March 18 in Tempe, Arizona.
Tom Krisher, The Associated Press
