The Tesla car, which was involved in a fatal accident on the California freeway in the United States on May 5, was on autopilot at the time of the accident, authorities have reported.
This is the 29th Tesla accident the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating.
On May 5th, a Tesla Model 3 crashed into an overturned semi-trailer truck on a freeway at around 2:30 a.m. (local time). The 35-year-old man died in the car and an injured man helped the truck driver out of his vehicle.
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After investigations, authorities found that Elon Musk’s Tesla electric car was powered by the company’s partially automated driving system known as an autopilot.
This is the fourth accident involving a Tesla car operated on the autopilot function.
“While the CHP does not normally comment on ongoing investigations, the department recognizes the high level of interest in accidents with Tesla vehicles,” said the agency. “We felt that this information provided an opportunity to remind the public that driving is a complex task that requires the driver’s full attention.”
This incident raised concerns about the company’s autopilot and self-propelled characteristics. However, the user manuals warn the driver to be careful of the road even when the car is in autopilot or self-drive mode.
