The Nhtsa, the US government agency that deals with safety on American roads has opened an investigation into the death of a new, former Navy Seal soldier, who lost his life on May 7 due to an accident while traveling on his Tesla Model S.
The vehicle allegedly crashed into a truck trailer on the highway near Williston, Florida. Driving mode was set to Autopilot.
The cause of the accident would have been the lack of recognition by the autonomous driving system of the side of the trailer.
Its color, its height, "with its position across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact, caused the Model S to pass under the tow." Tesla stated.
According to data reported by the company, the one that occurred in Florida would be the first fatal accident in 130 million miles of autonomous driving, compared to an average that, in the States, is equal to one death for every 94 million miles travelled.
Recall that Tesla launched its Autopilot system on the market in October 2015. However, it still recommends concentration and attention to drivers.
