Tesla’s Autopilot is again involved in a fatal accident. Earlier this month, three passengers were killed at the wheel of a Model S after it slammed into a sidewalk. The crash was potentially caused by an autopilot bug that actuates the brakes for no reason.
The numbers climb and begin to seriously embarrass Tesla. For several months now, an Autopilot bug has been raging on the roads and endangering the lives of drivers: for no apparent reason, the vehicle’s brakes can be activated suddenly in the middle of the road. Despite the manufacturer’s efforts to cover up the matter, accidents are on the rise and sometimes prove fatal. Last month, a driver was killed in a road accident due to phantom braking.
The balance sheet increased again a few weeks ago. At the beginning of May, a Model S was the victim of a crash which cost the lives of its three passengers. The car slammed into the sidewalk before crashing into construction equipment, killing all three people instantly. NHTSA, the American Highway Safety, announced to open an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. According to preliminary hypotheses, it is possible that Autopilot was activated at the time of the incidentand that a brake problem is the cause of the crash.
Related — Tesla Model S: Elon Musk Claims Autopilot Was Disabled During Fatal Crash
Three passengers die at the wheel of a Model S, the Autopilot pointed out
Nothing has been confirmed at this time and the NHTSA investigation will aim to clarify this matter. Nevertheless, the organization notes that this is the 42nd accident involving an autopilot system since the launch of its dedicated monitoring program in 2016. Of these 42 crashes, only 7 are not the work of a Tesla vehicle.
It is currently difficult to predict the results of this investigation. It is clear, however, that the NHTSA now takes the thing very seriously. Indeed, although dangerous for the driver, Autopilot is also just as important for other road usersas shown by the accident of a Model which killed two people.
Source : Bloomberg
