Tesla car crash in California kills driver while running on autopilot

A Tesla vehicle driving in autopilot mode crashed into a roadside barrier and caught fire in a test carried out in California – according to a report by the BBC.
April 3, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

The driver of the Model X car died soon after the incident which occurred on the 23 March 2018.

In a statement, the company confirmed that autopilot was engaged with the adaptive cruise control follow-distance set to minimum. Several visual and one audible hands-on warning were sent to the driver whose hands were not detected on the steering wheel six seconds prior to the collision.

“The driver had about five seconds and 150 metres of unobstructed view of the concrete divider with the crushed crash attenuator, but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken,” the statement added.

The severity of the crash is believed to have been the result of the crash attenuator’s state at the time of the accident. The highway safety barrier, which aims to reduce the impact into a concrete lane divider, had not been replaced since being crushed in a previous accident.

Tesla’s autopilot system is said to carry out some of the functions of a fully autonomous machine such as braking, accelerating and steering under certain conditions, but operates as a driver assistance system. The company highlighted that it is not intended to work independently and that motorists are required to have their hands on the wheel at all times.

 

Urban Traffic Control

Related Content

  • LED lighting strobes within ITS
    April 29, 2013
    Specialist in the design and manufacture of LED illumination and control solutions for machine vision and intelligent traffic applications, Gardasoft, has published a White Paper that deals specifically with the integration and advantages relating to the use of LED lighting within ITS systems.
    Read More
  • Denso acquires US automotive diagnostic information company
    November 5, 2018
    Denso has acquired Ease Simulation, a US company which develops automotive diagnostics technology. Richard Shiozaki, senior vice president of Denso Products and Services Americas, says the deal is part of a long-term strategy to offer new value for mobility. Ease will now merge with Denso Products and Services America, an automotive components subsidiary based in California. Ease also offers automotive inspection software, automotive emissions equipment and automotive telematics systems.
    Read More
  • Grab launches e-scooter service in Indonesia
    May 28, 2019
    Grab has joined forces with Sinar Mas Land to launch 50 electric scooters aimed at people travelling short distances in BSD (Bumi Serpong Damai) City in Indonesia. Sinar, a property developer, says the GrabWheels service is expected to be of interest to students and office workers travelling distances of 3-5km. Ongki Kurniawan, Grab Indonesia executive director, says the e-scooters can travel up to 15km per hour and can travel up to 40km when the battery is fully charged. Users can access the service
    Read More
  • PAX Technology ships 300,000 units to Brazil
    November 3, 2014
    Electronic payment solutions provider PAX Technology is determined to push into new markets after success in Brazil and China. Already, 300,000 Brazilian customers have received solutions using PAX D-series MPOS products (D180, D200 and D210) and the company insists there is more to come.
    Read More

Highlighted Content