Cause of Tesla crash determined
Last week, a 28-year-old woman switched on the Autopilot driver assist suite in her Tesla Model S, pulled out her phone, and crashed into a stationary fire truck which resulted in a broken ankle, according to a recent investigation by the local police.
Local law enforcement and technicians from Tesla agreed to cooperate to determine the cause of the accident, and on Wednesday, the South Jordan Police Department (SJPD) published the findings of Tesla's probe into the car's computer, which revealed the car's activities in the minutes leading up to the crash.
During the driver's trip, the driver reportedly switched Autopilot and active cruise control on and off on multiple occasions and modified the vehicle's cruise speed at varying points. The car also has said to have registered a total absence of hands on its wheel. She then allegedly only placed her hands back on the wheel after being cued to do so by an alert, both times removing them again after the alert went away.
According to the press release, about 1 minute and 22 seconds before the crash, she re-enabled Autosteer and Cruise Control, and then, within two seconds, took her hands off the steering wheel again. She did not touch the steering wheel for the next 80 seconds until the crash happened; this is consistent with her admission that she was looking at her phone at the time.
The driver manually pressed the vehicle brake pedal fractions of a second prior to the crash. Contrary to the proper use of Autopilot, the driver did not pay attention to the road at all times, did not keep her hands on the steering wheel, and she used it on a street with no centre median and with stoplight-controlled intersections.
As a reminder for drivers of semi-autonomous vehicles, it is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive safely, and be in control of the vehicle at all times. Tesla makes it clear that drivers should always watch the road in front of them and be prepared to take corrective actions. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death. Check with the vehicle’s owner manual to determine if this technology can be used on city streets or not.
"As a reminder for drivers of semi-autonomous vehicles, it is the driver’s responsibility to stay alert, drive safely, and be in control of the vehicle at all times," stated Police Sergeant Samuel Winkler, in the SJPD's press release. "Tesla makes it clear that drivers should always watch the road in front of them and be prepared to take corrective actions. Failure to do so can result in serious injury or death. Check with the vehicle’s owner manual to determine if this technology can be used on city streets or not."
