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

  • La Sécurité Routière calls for self-driving cars to pass driving test
    April 11, 2018
    French safety agency La Sécurité Routière has proposed that autonomous vehicles (AVs) should be made to pass a standard driving test before deployment on roads – according to a report by The European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL). Through the proposed test, AVs would be set to autopilot mode and be required to participate in a driving examination. Manoeuvres, different driving speeds, parking and navigation would all be under scrutiny.
    Read More
  • Here Technologies launches safety suite for BMW drivers
    January 5, 2018
    To improve driver and passenger safety in BMW vehicles, Here Technologies (Here) will deliver a cloud-based suite which provides information on potential road hazards, accidents and extreme weather events, such as slippery roads and reduced visibility. It will be integrated into production models beginning in mid-2018 and will be available to users across North America and Europe. Called Here Safety Services Suite, the system aggregates real-time, rich sensor data generated by cars of different brands.
    Read More
  • Safer roads with the HV2 safety barrier from Saferoads
    March 21, 2018
    The durability of a steel barrier and the ballasting weight of concrete come together in the HV2 hybrid freestanding temporary safety barrier from Saferoads. The HV2 is half the weight per metre of a typical concrete barrier, according to the Australian manufacturer Saferoads. The system has passed MASH TL-4, 10T at 90km/h completely freestanding with deflection of 2.2m. The company says that because of its size - 5.8m long and rotationally symmetrical – and that it needs no additional parts, the HV2 is
    Read More
  • Smart Mobility World 2015
    October 9, 2015
    Smart Mobility World 2015, organised by ClickutilityTeam and Innovability, takes place in Monza, Italy, from 28-30 October 2015. It provides an opportunity to engage with experts in the machine-to-machine market, with an industry-led, market-driven conference agenda focused on the machine to machine market. Industry experts will share their expertise on trends impacting future development, alongside an exhibition of mobility solutions, applications and embedded devices.
    Read More

Highlighted Content