Officials in Washington State are investigating a crash involving a Tesla, which they say was in Autopilot mode when it collided with a parked police SUV. According to an ABC news report, there were no injuries in the crash. However, the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department said in a Facebook post that the incident caused significant damage to the patrol vehicle.
Ongoing Investigation
Washington State Patrol, leading the investigation, told ABC that it is probing a collision involving a 2015 Tesla Model S and a Ford Explorer patrol vehicle belonging to the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Department. The crash occurred in Arlington, a suburb north of Seattle. A sheriff’s deputy was investigating a separate incident involving a car that had slammed into a utility pole, and had parked his patrol car on the shoulder.
The Tesla then approached and crashed into the left side of the deputy’s vehicle, which had the overhead emergency lights activated and partially blocked the roadway to protect the collision scene. While troopers investigated the collision, the Tesla driver claimed that he had the vehicle in Autopilot mode and said he “assumed the vehicle would slow down and move over on its own.
Controversy Over Autopilot
In a social media post, the sheriff’s department called the incident “a great reminder” that Autopilot is an assistive feature, but it “cannot be relied upon to get you safely from one destination to the next.” This incident in Washington State is just the latest in a spate of accidents involving Tesla’s Autopilot feature. Earlier this month, a man was killed when his Tesla Model 3 struck an overturned semi-truck in Fontana. Authorities said the vehicle’s Autopilot feature was engaged during the crash.
After several similar accidents involving Autopilot, Tesla said drivers cannot count on Autopilot to do their jobs and should always be alert, even when the vehicle is in Autopilot mode.
If Autopilot isn’t autonomous or semi-autonomous, shouldn’t Tesla rename it and clarify its capabilities? Consumer Reports and federal safety regulators thought so. Automakers should refrain from releasing products that are not suitable for widespread use. Before putting autonomous and semi-autonomous vehicles on the road, manufacturers should test them thoroughly.
Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Business/tesla-autopilot-mode-crashes-parked-police-car/story?id=77753735
