BETTER PARTSWas Harry Potter to blame?
Palo Alto (United States), 1 July 2016
Tesla must sign a first fatal accident in the a model S with the autopilot was engaged. Tesla called autopilot the autonomous driving feature of the car. The Californian car manufacturers in a blog entry June 30 reported yesterday, the driver of the electric car died.
Continuing apace in the side of a truck
According to information, there are Tesla, drove the car with switched on autopilot on a divided highway, when a truck crossed the road at a right angle. Neither the driver nor the autopilot apparently registered the white painted truck against the bright sky so that the model unabated S slammed into its flank. While the body came under the trailer, the windshield collided with the barrier. If the model S to front or rear of the trailer would be bounced, the collision avoidance system would have prevented serious injury so the company in his blog. Tesla have immediately reported the accident the competent US traffic authority NHTSA, and who now wants to investigate the accident.
Saw the driver of a Harry Potter movie?
The exact circumstances go from the report of a local newspaper from the levy County in Florida out, where the accident happened. According to Levyjournalonline.com, the accident happened around 3: 00 40 to U.S. Highway 27 at Williston already on May 7, 2016. The people killed is the 45-year Joshua Brown of Ohio. The truck would have been on the road in a westerly direction on the left turn lane, while Brown ran in an easterly direction. When the truck turned left, came to the collision. The Tesla went to the collision under the trailer over and continue in an easterly direction, until it from the street came down, broke through two fences, grazed a pole and only 30 metres from the street away came to a halt. Brown died yet at the accident site. According to the website of the US news channel Fox News reported the 62 truck driver, that after the accident on the screen of the Tesla another Harry Potter movie ran the apparently the driver had viewed that would throw a different light on the accident.
First fatal accident after 200 million kilometers
Tesla indicates that it is the first fatal accident, is due to the auto-pilot. The customer had placed back already over 200 million kilometers with autopilot switched on. The US average is about one fatal accident per 150 million kilometres according to Tesla. The manufacturer also indicates that the autopilot was turned off by default. If the driver to activate him, he must confirm a message from the system, that it is only a supporting role, and that it was necessary to keep control of the vehicle. If the driver long time from the steering wheel takes the hands, warnings are made and the car slows down automatically.
A friend of Electromobility
The company wants to further improve the software of the autopilot and taking into account the experiences of the owners in everyday and rare situations, such as when the fatal accident: "the autopilot is always better, but he is not perfect and the driver must stay alert." If that is the case, the system will improve safety. In the blog entry, Tesla is also his sorrow about the accident. The dead man had been a friend of Electromobility, believed close to the Mission of Tesla. (sl)