State Law and Tesla At Fault in Fatal Accident

Tesla at fault in fatal accident

USA- Abcnewsgo.com writes that a report released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) states that Tesla, two drivers, and the lack of regulations in Florida are all at fault for deadly 2019 collision. The driver involved in the wreck was using Tesla’s Autopilot feature when the incident occurred.

The NTSB states that the Autopilot system created some of the risks because it is allowed the driver to stop paying attention to the road. The Autopilot system is only suitable for certain driving scenarios, and yet the company permitted the use of the system for areas where it cannot safely operate.

While Tesla is taking some of the blame, the NTSB also stated that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s lack of safeguards and regulations contributed to the incident. The NHTSA and the NTSB continue to disagree on how the new driver-assistance technology should be regulated. So far, the NHTSA has demonstrated a reluctance when it comes to overseeing and setting boundaries for the systems.

The collision occurred last year in Delray Beach, Florida. The driver in the Tesla, a 50-year-old man, was driving at 69-miles-per-hour when he and the system failed to apply the brakes when a semi-truck crossed the Tesla’s path. The Tesla collided with the trailer, causing the top of the Tesla Model 3 to be sheared from the car.

The NTSB writes that the incident was the third Autopilot-related fatal crash involving a driver who relied too heavily on the driver assistance program. According to the NTSB, Autopilot is not intended for roadways where cross-traffic exists, but the Tesla has not prevented the use of its technology in these situations. Another crash killed a driver in a Tesla under circumstances that were analogous to the Florida crash, adding weight to the NTSB’s position.