A recent incident near Seattle has raised concerns about the safety of Tesla's Autopilot driving system after a Tesla Model S, potentially operating on Autopilot, collided with and killed a motorcyclist. The driver admitted to using Autopilot and looking at his cellphone while the vehicle was in motion, leading to the tragic accident.
The driver, a 56-year-old individual, was arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide due to his inattention to driving while relying on Autopilot and being distracted by his cellphone. The victim, a 28-year-old motorcyclist named Jeffrey Nissen, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities are still investigating whether Autopilot was indeed in use at the time of the crash. This incident comes after a recent recall by Tesla, prompted by U.S. auto safety regulators, involving over 2 million vehicles to address issues related to driver attention while using Autopilot.
Tesla agreed to update Autopilot software to enhance warnings and alerts for drivers, emphasizing that Autopilot is not a fully autonomous driving system. The company's monitoring system sends alerts if it detects a lack of driver engagement, but experts have criticized the system's effectiveness.
The government and safety experts are calling for a thorough investigation into the crash to evaluate the efficacy of the recall fixes and ensure the safety of road users. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been urged to assess whether Tesla has effectively mitigated risks associated with Autopilot usage.
Since 2016, NHTSA has been involved in investigating multiple crashes involving Tesla vehicles operating on partially automated driving systems, resulting in several fatalities. The agency is also looking into incidents involving automated driving systems from other automakers to enhance overall safety standards.
