Tesla's Autopilot System Fails to Avoid Crash; US Authorities Open Probe

Apparently Brown was full of praises for the car's sophisticated "Autopilot" system and it was just one month before the incident that he credited his 2015 Tesla for preventing a collision on an interstate highway. However, the accident that killed Brown occurred in Williston, Florida, when the car's cameras failed to distinguish the white side of a turning tractor-trailer rig from a brightly lit sky and didn't automatically activate its brakes. The Tesla hit the tractor trailer at a speed of 210 km/h when the windshield struck the tractor trailer as it passed under. Tesla has claimed that the trailer's white paint set against a bright sky was the reason the driver and Autopilot didn't stop the car.

Tesla Model S

Tesla released a blog post sharing its view on the matter saying, "When drivers activate Autopilot, the acknowledgment box explains, among other things, that Autopilot "is an assist feature that requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times," and that "you need to maintain control and responsibility for your vehicle" while using it. Additionally, every time that Autopilot is engaged, the car reminds the driver to "Always keep your hands on the wheel. Be prepared to take over at any time." The system also makes frequent checks to ensure that the driver's hands remain on the wheel and provides visual and audible alerts if hands-on is not detected. It then gradually slows down the car until hands-on is detected again." The authorities haven't released an official statement yet, but the investigation should reveal whether the cause of the accident was a human error or a software issue.

Expressing grief on the tragic death Tesla said, "The customer who died in this crash had a loving family and we are beyond saddened by their loss. He was a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community, a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla's mission. We would like to extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends."

Frank Baressi, the 62-year-old driver of the tractor-trailer said that the Tesla driver was "playing Harry Potter on the screen" and driving so quickly that "he went so fast through my trailer I didn't see him." Also Tesla Motors Inc. did say that it is not possible to watch videos on the Model S touch screen. The death of a driver who was using Tesla Motors' semi-autonomous mode could add to the public's apprehension for driverless cars. Most of the major automakers and technology companies, including Apple, Google and Uber, are working on fully autonomous cars and have claimed it to be the future of transportation. We, however, think that the technology still has a long way to go.