Tesla’s self-driving feature is back in the spotlight once again, as a driver told authorities that the software caused his car to brake unexpectedly, resulting in an eight-car pileup in the San Francisco Bay Area last month.
The crash resulted in nine people being treated for minor injuries, one of whom was a juvenile, according to a California Highway Patrol traffic crash report obtained by CNN.
Video reviewed by the highway patrol showed the Tesla during the crash. However, the agency said in the Dec. 7 report that it could not confirm if the car’s “full self-driving” feature was being used when the crash occurred.
The report says that the Tesla Model S was traveling at nearly 55 miles per hour when it changed lanes before braking suddenly, bringing the car to 20 miles per hour.
The crash occurred around noon on Thanksgiving and resulted in four ambulances being called to treat those hurt, according to the San Francisco Fire Department.
As if to be ironic, the crash also happened hours after Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, announced on Twitter that the self-driving software was available in North America to all who requested it.
Before this, the system was restricted to those who had received high safety scores on the company’s rating system.
The “full self-driving” feature is designed to always need a human driver. But, it is designed to drive at the speed of traffic, steer and follow traffic signals when necessary.
Currently, the system, and other Tesla software that assists with driving, are being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The investigation is concerning similar reports that vehicles were braking unexpectedly “without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive.”
Related
Related
