The driver of a Tesla Model S electric car was killed in a crash that occurred while the vehicle was driving itself in “autopilot” mode, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has opened a formal investigation.
The accident, on May 7, is thought to be the first death resulting from a crash involving a self-driving car.
Automakers and Silicon Valley companies like Tesla and Google are pushing to perfect automated vehicles and speed their introduction, but the big question has been whether the technology is reliable in a life-or-death situation.
In a statement, the safety agency said it learned of the fatality from Tesla, and has sent an investigative team to examine the vehicle and the crash site in Williston, Fla., about 100 miles northwest of Orlando. The team is looking at the car’s automated driving system and whether it played a role in the crash.
The safety agency did not identify the Tesla driver who was killed when a tractor-trailer turned in front of the car. But the Florida Highway Patrol identified him as Joshua Brown, 40, of Canton, Ohio.
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Tesla said in its news release that it had informed the traffic safety agency about the accident “immediately after it occurred.” But the company reported it publicly only on Thursday, after learning that the agency had begun to investigate.
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It noted that when a driver activated the system, an acknowledgment box pops up, explaining that the autopilot mode “is an assist feature that requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times.”
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WASHINGTON (AP) — US confirms first self-driving car death involving Tesla S driver using autopilot.
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 30, 2016
Gee, who could have predicted that?
Driver killed while using Tesla ‘autopilot’ feature https://t.co/qmKEjBg7uB
— HotAir.com (@hotairblog) July 1, 2016
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