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posted by martyb on Wednesday June 21 2017, @09:20AM   Printer-friendly
from the More-of-a-passenger-than-a-driver dept.

The first fatality involving Tesla's Autopilot feature led to questions over the safety of the semi-autonomous system last year, but a report published by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concludes that Elon Musk's company was not at fault. While the cause of the crash has still not been determined, the 538-page report states that driver Joshua Brown had his hands off the wheel of the Tesla Model S "for the vast majority of the trip." This was despite receiving seven visual warnings, six of which also sounded a chime, to maintain control during the 37-minute journey.

GreenCar Reports states:

The truck driver involved in the crash also claimed Brown was watching a movie at the time of impact—an aftermarket DVD player was found among the wreckage.

On the other hand, Ars Technica reports otherwise:

In the latest regulatory documents on the incident, the National Traffic Safety Board disputed some accounts that Brown was watching a Harry Potter movie during the crash last year. The board said it found several electronic devices, but there was no evidence that they were being operated during the accident.

Ars elaborates on the amount of time that the driver had his hands on the wheel:

Tesla's autopilot mode allows a vehicle to maintain the speed of traffic, and an auto-steer function is designed to help keep the Tesla inside its lane. The board said the Tesla alerted the driver seven times with a visual of "Hands Required Not Detected." The authorities said the motorist, a former Navy Seal, had his hands on the wheel for 25 seconds during the 37 minutes of the trip when they should have been placed on the steering wheel. That's according to "system performance data" from Tesla, the government said.


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  • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 21 2017, @01:53PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 21 2017, @01:53PM (#529011)

    Like Microsoft?

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  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday June 21 2017, @10:17PM

    by MostCynical (2589) on Wednesday June 21 2017, @10:17PM (#529246) Journal

    Aren't they more likely to kill careers and companies, than cause spectacular vehicle crashes?

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex