Toyota halts self-driving tests in the US after Uber accident

Toyota has halted its self-driving car tests in the US after an Uber self-driving car hit a pedestrian which led to her death.

The Japanese car company said on Wednesday that it would temporarily suspend testing of its 'Chauffeur' autonomous driving system on the US roads. "We feel the incident may have an emotional effect on our test drivers," said Toyota spokesman Brian Lyons.

As for the Arizona accident, Uber's self-driving vehicle was traveling at about 40 mph when the incident happened in Tempe. Uber announced shortly afterward that it would be temporarily halting testing of self-driving cars in the US and Canada. It is the first death that has been caused by an autonomous vehicle.

Separately, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in Phoenix said it was awaiting the results of an investigation by Tempe police of the fatality before reviewing whether any charges should be filed. The Tempe police chief has told the San Francisco Chronicle that a preliminary look at video of the fatal crash indicates "that the Uber would likely not be at fault in this accident.

This should give a breather to Uber and other players who are pinning high hopes on the self-driving technology that's expected to change the future of transportation.