AUTOMATED VEHICLES: First Uber self-driving car hits streets of Pittsburgh

Those driving through Pittsburgh in the next few weeks might see Uber's first test self-driving car taking a spin through the streets. The hybrid Ford Fusion car, out of Uber's Advanced Technologies Center, will be gathering mapping data and testing out its autonomous driving abilities, according to a press release.

The ride-sharing company is still in the early stages of testing out self-driving cars. It said that real-world tests, like this one, are important to perfecting the technology. Uber sees the the move toward autonomous vehicles as a practical wave of the future, saying it would cut down in the high percentage of fatal car accidents caused by human error.

Pttsburgh was selected to be the home for the trial because of its history as a center of transportation innovations, as well as being a hub for "world-class engineering talent and research facilities."

This marks Uber as the first ride-sharing company to pilot a self-driving vehicle. There will be plenty of competition as Lyft has plans to debut autonomous electric Chevrolet Bolts within the next year, CNET reports.