People often say that technology is shaping the future, but technology sometimes has a long way to go. On Aug. 26, a report came out after a car crash happened involving a driver of a Tesla and a local police officer.
What happened? The vehicle was on autopilot. The vehicle is designed to do much of the driving on its own, but that does not mean it is autonomous. The driver of the vehicle still has to pay attention and make some maneuvers for the vehicle.
Autopilot in a Tesla enables features that can steer, accelerate, and brake the car on its own. This all happens within a single lane. So, if the vehicle needs to change lanes or is affected by the outside environment in ways that it doesn’t cater to, the driver has to take over.
The crash was the result of the Tesla’s driver watching a movie behind the wheel, according to officials. The vehicle went on to collide with a deputy’s vehicle on U.S. 64 west. The deputy’s vehicle then hit a state trooper’s cruiser. The impact resulted in two cars being totaled, and the driver has been accused of violating the state’s move-over law.
Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in this crash, but this isn’t the first time that a Tesla vehicle has been involved in a significant collision. Tesla has reported that there is approximately one crash per 2.87 million miles driven with autopilot, according to data from the first quarter of 2019.
Driving requires focus, no matter what kind of vehicle you’re in. If you are involved in a crash with someone using automated features, you may be able to pursue a claim for your injuries.
