Driverless Shuttle Crashes 1 Hour After Introduction In Las Vegas

Las Vegas is the first city in the country to get a driverless shuttle — and it crashed within its first hour.

The shuttle collided with a semi-truck Wednesday in downtown Las Vegas, according to KSNV, a Las Vegas-based NBC News affiliate. There were no injuries, and it appears both vehicles received minimal damage.

The autonomous vehicle runs a half-mile loop in downtown Las Vegas and began running at 10 a.m. The shuttles are free to passengers and the program is sponsored by AAA. The pilot program is scheduled to run for a year.

A representative from AAA said that the crash was caused by the truck driver, and the incident was the result of human error, according to KSNV.

The shuttle underwent a 10-day test run in January while cordoned off from traffic. The vehicles, which hold up to 11 passengers, were made by French company Navya and are managed by French transportation company Keolis. The vehicles have no steering wheels and no brakes, but they do have a human attendant to monitor the vehicle during the pilot program.

The shuttle uses GPS, cameras and light-detecting sensors to move around, according to Business Insider. The vehicle has a top speed of 25 mph.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal spoke to John Moreno, a public affairs manager with AAA, on Friday in anticipation of the launch.

“People look at automobiles as a symbol of freedom and advantage, but it’s amazing to see how much mobility is changing,” said Moreno. “We know the general public is skeptical of new technology. But hopefully this will build some excitement for what the future of transportation could look like.”

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