Autopilot Could Have Played A Role In Fatal Tesla Accident

Tesla has long stated that its Autopilot feature is not meant to be taken as a self-driving feature, but yet people seem more than willing to put it to the test all the same. There are built-in mechanisms and features to ensure the driver keeps their hands on the wheel, but sometimes accidents can happen too quickly.

Take for example recently, where there have been reports about a fatal Tesla accident that resulted in both occupants of the car perishing. It has been suspected that the Autopilot feature might have been the reason behind it as neither occupant of the car was found behind the steering wheel.

One was one in the front passenger seat while the other was in the back. The car was driving on the roads of Houston at a high rate of speed when it is speculated that it failed to negotiate a curve, causing it to crash into a tree and burst into flames. Investigations are underway so it is unclear how this happened and if maybe the occupants of the car misunderstood Autopilot for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving feature.

That being said, these kinds of accidents will certainly make it a lot harder for self-driving cars to gain the necessary approval for the future, but if anything, it does highlight that there is still quite a bit of work to be done on the technology.

Filed in Transportation. Read more about Self-Driving Cars and Tesla. Source: reuters