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posted by Fnord666 on Wednesday September 13 2017, @07:51PM   Printer-friendly
from the tragic-events dept.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/teslas-semi-autonomous-system-contributed-deadly-crash-feds/story?id=49795839

Federal investigators announced Tuesday that the design of Tesla's semiautonomous driving system allowed the driver of a Tesla Model S in a fatal 2016 crash with a semi-truck to rely too heavily on the car's automation.

"Tesla allowed the driver to use the system outside of the environment for which it was designed," said National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt. "The system gave far too much leeway to the driver to divert his attention."

The board's report declares the primary probable cause of the collision as the truck driver's failure to yield, as well as the Tesla driver's overreliance on his car's automation — or Autopilot, as Tesla calls the system. Tesla's system design was declared a contributing factor.

[...] A Tesla spokesperson provided a statement to ABC News that read, "We appreciate the NTSB's analysis of last year's tragic accident, and we will evaluate their recommendations as we continue to evolve our technology. We will also continue to be extremely clear with current and potential customers that Autopilot is not a fully self-driving technology and drivers need to remain attentive at all times."

According to The Associated Press, members of Brown's family said on Monday that they do not blame the car or the Autopilot system for his death.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report on the crash can be found here. The NTSB has yet not published its full report; a synopsis of it can be found here.

Also at The Verge and CNN


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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by crafoo on Wednesday September 13 2017, @09:01PM (2 children)

    by crafoo (6639) on Wednesday September 13 2017, @09:01PM (#567463)

    Until they take away the steering, throttle, and brake controls the driver is responsible for the safe operation of the vehicle.

    This is a case of a marketing department being directly liable for misinformation that lead to a death.

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  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by bob_super on Wednesday September 13 2017, @09:29PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday September 13 2017, @09:29PM (#567479)

    Let's consider this highly informative title: "Tesla's Semiautonomous System Contributed to Fatal Crash"

    I think stepping into the car, and even getting out of bed that day, also led to fatal crash. Using a vehicle led to fatal crash. Having a glorified cruise control on can lead to a crash.
    The person behind the wheel, who acted as if 2016 tech could be trusted to handle hazards on US public roads, definitely contributed to the crash, too. But a significant amount more.

  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday September 13 2017, @10:17PM

    by MostCynical (2589) on Wednesday September 13 2017, @10:17PM (#567506) Journal

    And coca cola is directly responsible for any buyer not having the lifestyle and activites portrayed in their advertisements.

    Hype has been permitted in advertising for as long as there has been advertising (before it even gad a name.. )

    Sure, limit the hype to 'reality', but don't blame the marketing and advertising dudes, unless you also want to restrict ALL sales reps to "the truth". (good luck with that)

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