There’s been much talk about Uber kicking off the first self-driving fleet in Pittsburgh this month, however, because of the infancy of autonomous cars, and the fact that the technology is still very experimental, Uber passengers are being asked to sign waivers clearing the company of any liability in the event of injury or death.
The program will launch with autonomous Ford Fusions being allotted as Uber options within a 12 square-mile section of the city.
The waiver, according to one senior Pittsburgh police officer, states, “I acknowledge that some or all of the AVs in which I ride are in a development phase, are experimental in nature, and that riding in an AV may involve the potential for death, serious injury, and/or property loss.”
Some of the associated risks that can occur when riding in an AV are, according to a detailed document obtained by The Guardian, as follows: “Risks associated with riding in an AV may include, without limitation, those caused by equipment failure, development vehicle operators or other safety drivers, actions of other motorists, weather, temperature, road conditions, negligence, or human error.”
Apparently Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center research hub mandated that the document must be signed by every passenger in order to ride.