Tesla is being investigated in wake of first autopilot-related death

This is how it starts.
Prepare for major setbacks for autopilot.
If you read the article you will see that autopilot did not caused the accident and even the driver was not able to react. The headline is a click-bait.

Not click bait. This is the first fatality so it's natural that it will be heavily investigated.

That will be the prelude to the lawyers getting involved.
 
Sad for every one involved. Death is death no matter how it is caused. The only person who knows what really happened is dead - the driver of the car. Unless there was a dashcam on his car it is only speculation on what happened. There should be an education system on what the word "autopilot" really means. People today have become lazy drivers because of the technology of the new cars. There is no more feedback like there used to be, now the computerization of the car has in my opinion removed the feedback from the car given to the driver thru suspension changes etc. Now the computer just makes every thing smooth, computers can not make real time assessments of the driving environment, that is the job of the driver. We have become a nation of lazy drivers that use gps and all sorts of electronic aids while they are driving. If I was in charge of driver education I would go back to a manual gearbox so that people have to stay alert rather than just steering the car. Where has the fun of driving gone? Cars of the 60s and 70s were fun to drive because you had to actually drive them. All new cars should have the ability to turn off cell phones that are not hands free as soon as you turn the car on. Put the actual driving back into the hands of the driver - not a computer. Remember that it was a human brain that invented the computer.
 
I didn't read the entire article, but according to the news lately, the Tesla driver was exceeding the speed limit
 
I would still trust this over human drivers any day!
This.

The most dangerous thing on the road is another human.

I can't wait for when self driving vehicles are the norm. I expect to see travel related accidents fall to a single percentage of what they are now.
 
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If this story is true, which is doubtful, and problems with driver-less vehicles then both are a ridiculous waste of money, time and energy.
 
This.

The most dangerous thing on the road is another human.

I can't wait for when self driving vehicles are the norm. I expect to see travel related accidents fall to a single percentage of what they are now.

I agree.... for the most part. Passive monitoring still isn't quite ready for prime time though, in my opinion. If all vehicles were equipped with a means of communication so all vehicles knew the position, direction, and speed of all other vehicles there would rarely be vehicle collisions. Some things can't be controlled though such as tire blow-outs and plenty of other variables which can lead to a collision.

Humans are indeed dangerous on the road. there are so few who actually give their full attention to driving.
 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a “preliminary evaluation” into an accident involving a 40-year-old man that was killed while his Tesla Model S was in autopilot mode.

This is the first known fatality in more than 130 million miles where autopilot was activated, Tesla said.

According to the Levy Journal, the accident took place on May 7 in Williston, Florida. The victim, identified as Joshua Brown, was reportedly an active member of the Tesla subreddit. Roughly two months ago, a video of his Model S autopilot avoiding a crash went viral and was even tweeted by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

In a statement on its website, Tesla said Brown had a loving family and was a friend of both Tesla and the broader EV community.

According to Tesla, the vehicle was traveling on a divided highway with autopilot engaged when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S. Neither autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky. As such, the brakes were never applied.

The car essentially drove “under” the gap of the trailer, making contact with one of its weakest points: the windshield. Had the accident involved the front or the rear of the trailer, Tesla said, its crash safety system would likely have prevented serious injury.

Tesla extended its deepest sympathies to Brown's friends and family.

Permalink to story.


I would like to see the discontinued use of the word 'accident', in reality it is a collision or crash caused by mechanical or human error.
The word itself sounds mild, 'lame' and relatively unimportant in the seriousness of crashes, collisions, injuries and deaths which is costing communities a great deal of heartache, pain, suffering and $$$$$$$$$billions annually.
In our house the family use the word 'crashident'.
 
Some things can't be controlled though such as tire blow-outs..
I stumbled across some "heavy vehicle accident" videos on youtube.

There was a tire blow out in one of them on a tractor trailer.

I had no idea a tire blow out was THAT serious, especially on something that has ~18 wheels! It sure opened my eyes. Just insane.
 
I stumbled across some "heavy vehicle accident" videos on youtube.

There was a tire blow out in one of them on a tractor trailer.

I had no idea a tire blow out was THAT serious, especially on something that has ~18 wheels! It sure opened my eyes. Just insane.
Indeed... one of the reasons I stay away from tractor trailers when on the motorway. I'd rather be behind them or well in front of them, but no where in the "smash zone" if a tire blows, an axle breaks, differential locks up.. whatever, it will make a quick and violent move left or right and no passenger vehicle is going to stop it.
 
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