Uber's self-driving car involved in Arizona crash

An Uber self-driving car was involved in an accident in north Tempe, Ariz. on Friday evening, ending up on its side after a crash involving two other vehicles, police said.

The autonomous car, as they are technically known, collided with another vehicle that failed to yield while making a left-hand turn.  A third vehicle also was involved, police said, but no serious injuries were reported.

The autonomous vehicles are part of a program to test the self-driving cars on the road in an attempt to one day put them to widespread use.

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It was "uncertain'' whether the car was driving itself at the time of the accident or if the operator sitting behind the wheel was in control, said Tempe police Sgt. Damon DeSpain.

Uber, on its website, stressed the use of the vehicles is in its early stages.

"While Uber is still in the early days of our self-driving efforts, every day of testing leads to improvements," the website says, referring to the self-driving car program. "Self-driving cars have the potential to save millions of lives and improve quality of life for people around the world."