A California judge determined that Tesla’s Autopilot technology was not the cause of a deadly collision in 2019, handing the corporation a big legal victory. There was a fiery accident caused by a Tesla Model 3 that veered off the road and struck a tree. Two passengers suffered injuries and the driver died.
The driver’s family and injured passengers filed a lawsuit alleging that the incident was caused by Tesla’s driver-assistance software. They said that the automobile was pushed to turn abruptly and sharply by the software.
Tesla’s argument claimed that the accident was caused by human error rather than by the company’s software. They compared their Autopilot function to enhanced cruise control, stressing that the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
After a four-day jury deliberation, the majority (9 out of 12 members) found that there was no manufacturing flaw in the car and that Tesla was not at blame for the incident. This decision follows a similar victory for Tesla earlier this year in another lawsuit in which Autopilot was accused of causing another accident.
However, Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) systems remain under scrutiny. Some believe their names might mislead drivers into thinking they don’t need to pay close attention while using these features.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice recently issued a subpoena to Tesla, demanding all documents related to its Autopilot and FSD features. This request followed Tesla’s failure to provide requested documents earlier this year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is also investigating Tesla’s autonomous driving software due to reports of its vehicles colliding with emergency vehicles while in Autopilot mode.
News Source: Gizmodo
