The Tesla car that was involved in a fatal crash on the California freeway in the US on May 05 was set on autopilot at the time of the accident, authorities have reported.
This is the 29th Tesla accident that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating.
On May 05, a Tesla Model 3 crashed into an overturned semi-truck on a freeway around 2:30 am (local time), leading to the death of the 35-year-old man sitting in the car and a man being injured who was helping the truck driver out of his vehicle.
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After investigating, authorities have found the electric car by Elon Musk’s Tesla was operating on the company’s partially automated driving system, dubbed as Autopilot.
This is the fourth accident of a Tesla car operating on the autopilot feature.
“While the CHP does not normally comment on ongoing investigations, the Department recognizes the high level of interest centered around crashes involving Tesla vehicle,” the agency said. “We felt this information provides an opportunity to remind the public that driving is a complex task that requires a driver’s full attention.”
This incident has raised concerns about the company’s features of autopilot and self-driving. However, the user manuals do caution the drivers to pay attention to the road even if the car is operating on autopilot or self-driving mode.