Tesla is the frontrunner in the electric vehicle industry, but it still has a lot of catching up to do with its autopilot and full-self driving features. Just recently, another driver claimed that autopilot was to blame for the accident he suffered as he crashed into a stopped truck.
Blaming the Faulty Autopilot
The driver of the 2016 Tesla claims that the car was in Autopilot mode when he lost control and hit the truck while driving eastbound on I-76 in Plum. The truck was positioned in the middle lane for traffic control for lane closure due to a paving detail.
According to the state police, the driver named David Clough was also driving in the middle lane when the crash happened. Although the vehicle was on Autopilot, Tesla still advises its drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and remain attentive.
This calls into question the dangers of autopilot and self-driving mode in Tesla, especially since it has been linked to several other accidents. Still, the driver was cited for reckless driving given that he did not take over before the collision even happened.
The incident took place around 10:25 PM ET, as mentioned in Ars Technica. Luckily, there were no major injuries to both the driver and the troopers. The local fire department and a towing service ended up assisting with the vehicles after the crash.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been vigilant with these incidents, It is already investigating crashes that involved first responders and road maintenance vehicles, specifically with 16 certain cases that have been reported.
Although the autopilot and full self-driving mode share the blame for these incidents, the driver is also responsible for keeping the cars from hitting anything. In some instances, there is enough time to take control of the vehicle before any accident.
When a driver is not paying attention to the road or does not have their hands on the steering wheel as Tesla advised, then there is less or no time to react when they are headed straight to a collision. This is also what makes the cases complicated.
Tesla Has Been Sued for It
The EV company has been hit with lawsuits before or had to be involved because it was Teslas that caused the accident. Back in 2020, Tesla Model S driver Justine Hsu filed a lawsuit against Tesla after claiming that her car steered out of control and hit a center median.
The driver suffered multiple injuries including a fractured jaw, missing teeth, and nerve damage, as mentioned in Engadget. The plaintiff asked for $3 million in damages on the grounds that the vehicle had software defects and design flaws with the airbag.
On April 2023, Tesla ended up winning the case with the jury of California state deciding that Tesla was not to blame for the accident. Although that's only one case to other potential lawsuits if accidents linked to Tesla's autopilot and full self-driving feature continue to cause vehicular accidents.
