A TV reporter who was in the driver's seat of a self-driving car caused a traffic accident during a test run in Nagoya last month, according to sources.
The experiment on self-driving technology was conducted by Nagoya University on Oct. 22 on a public road. A reporter from Nagoya Broadcasting Network was in the driver's seat, the sources said.
Although the test run had been approved in advance by Aichi prefectural authorities, an application submitted to carry out the experiment showed a researcher, not a TV reporter, would be in the driver's seat, the sources said.
The Nagoya TV reporter had a flat tire soon after the car was set to self-driving mode and subsequently hit a roadside block. The car was damaged, but no one was injured.
Nagoya Prefectural Government has urged Nagoya University to ensure the safety of such experiments because they are conducted on public roads.
Nagoya TV, meanwhile, said the reporter had a driver's license and was briefed about how to operate the car before the test run.
The car in the experiment was equipped with various sensors for self-driving, but required the driver's handling to avoid obstacles.