A video of a Tesla Model 3 crashing into a truck on the highway while reportedly being on Autopilot is going viral. According to a report on Electrek, the incident occurred in Taiwan on May 31 when a truck rolled over to its side on the highway leaving the roof of its box exposed to oncoming traffic.
Details About the Incident
A Tesla Model 3 owner reportedly driving with some Autopilot driver-assist features failed to see the truck. The safety feature did not stop a collision. The electric vehicle crashed into the truck at highway speed and was caught on security cameras. The video has been going viral on social media.
According to local media, the impact force was significant. The Tesla driver did not suffer life-threatening injuries according to reports. The driver was also not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The reports also said that Tesla’s “auxiliary system was turned on at the time, and the self-driving state was not adopted.”
It is believed that the Model 3 had at least some Autopilot features activated at the time of the crash. In the video, it also appears that the driver (or perhaps the emergency automatic braking system) applied the brakes at the last second based on brake skid smoke appearing a moment before the crash.
Tesla Autopilot and Safety
A number of questions and concerns have been raised about Tesla’s Autopilot and every now and then, we see one of these viral videos from around the world showing a horrific crash involving a Tesla vehicle that is equipped with Autopilot – which contrary to what the name suggests – is only a semi-automated feature. After initial crashes, Tesla warned drivers that they should not take their hands off of the steering wheel and should pay attention to the road at all times, even when Autopilot is deployed.
This led safety advocates such as Consumer Reports to question, justifiably so, as to why the feature was called Autopilot. Our product defect attorneys are also under the belief that Tesla misled consumers with this name, lulling drivers into a false sense of security. As a result, in California, we’ve seen drivers putting their vehicles on Autopilot and going to sleep as their vehicles dangerously navigate the freeways.
Suppose you or a loved one has been injured in a Tesla Autopilot crash. In that case, it is important to preserve the vehicle in its current condition to thoroughly examine it for evidence of design flaws, defects and malfunctions. An experienced auto defect lawyer will be able to help injured victims and their families better understand their legal rights and options.
Source: https://electrek.co/2020/06/01/tesla-model-3-crashing-truck-autopilot-video-viral/
