Uber resumes autonomous vehicle tests in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH – Uber is resuming autonomous vehicle tests in an area near downtown Pittsburgh.

The restart Thursday comes just more than nine months after one of its autonomous cars struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona. Testing has been suspended since the accident in March.

The ride-hailing company received permission to resume testing from the Pennsylvania Transportation Department on Monday. It plans to start with a few cars in an area near its offices.

Uber has pledged to have two human backup drivers and take other safety precautions in each Volvo SUV. It also will stay in an area where speed limits on most roads are 25 mph.

Uber also plans to resume human-controlled tests in Toronto and San Francisco. It has no immediate plan to resume tests in Arizona.

The company says its SUVs will operate only during daylight hours on weekdays and not in inclement weather.

It also has activated Volvo’s automatic emergency braking system as a backup to its self-driving controls.