The scene of the accident unfolded in Los Angeles. Accidents happen, but it’s the circumstance of the situation that may call into question the claim made on Tesla’s official website that their autopilot is offers “a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver”.
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The Model S was cruising at a speed of 65 mph when it slammed into the back of a stationary fire truck on the side of the road. Firefighters released a statement saying that fortunately nobody was injured in the accident.
The driver behind the wheel has confirmed to authorities that the car had indeed been on autopilot at the time of the crash. Due to this, the National Transportation Safety Board is required to launch a formal investigation into the situation.
This marks the second time that they are forced to do so, the previous time occurring in 2016 after another Tesla crash caused the death of a 40-year-old man from Ohio.
Semi-autonomous cars are surely the future of transportation, but the problem remains that no machine is one hundred percent reliable. Should humans become too comfortable and not remain alert while at the wheel, the consequences will be grim in the event that the autopilot fails.
