Tesla and its Autopilot are again involved in a fatal accident. The crash took place last Sunday on a road near Draper, Utah in the United States. The driver hit a motorcyclist during the night, killing him instantly. This is the 48th accident in which the manufacturer’s automatic driving was activated.
This Sunday, July 24, a biker died after being hit by a Tesla car. While driving on a road near the town of Draper, Utah, in the United States, the vehicle came to strike the back of his motorcycle, ejecting him then on the ground. The motorcyclist was killed instantly. The Tesla driver escaped unscathed and informed the police that he had not seen the victim before the accident, which took place at around 1 a.m.
The Autopilot was activated at the time of the accident. According to figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the American equivalent of Highway Safety, this is the 48th accident in which the Autopilot has been involved since the launch of the list of “Special Crash Investigations” ( SCI), a cell that investigates accidents where, among other things, automatic driving is activated.
Related — Tesla Autopilot: He Falls Asleep At The Wheel And Ends Up In Court For Dangerous Driving
Tesla’s Autopilot again involved in a fatal accident
Of these 48 accidents on the list, 39 were caused by Tesla cars. 19 proved to be fatal for the victims, a figure which includes drivers, passengers and even pedestrians. We have covered these accidents on several occasions, which sometimes go so far as to cause the death of several people. The United States is not the only ones concerned. In France too, Tesla cars have been involved in fatal accidents.
In addition to the SCI program, US authorities are also investigating 16 other crashes involving the Autopilot, including one fatality. Note that the majority of them took place at night, when the Autopilot ignored multiple safety signals such as hazard warning lights and other road signs. Moreover, this is not the first time that the United States has opened a special investigation against Tesla following an accident. The automaker tops the list of fatal accidents involving automatic driving software.
Source: The Verge