Elon Musk is obsessive about the design of his supercars, right down to the disappearing door handles. But a series of shocking incidents – from drivers trapped in burning vehicles to dramatic stops on the highway – have led to questions about the safety of the brand. Why won’t Tesla give any answers?
There’s more. Two years prior, the NHTSA had flagged something strange – something suspicious. In a separate report, it documented 16 cases in which Tesla vehicles crashed into stationary emergency vehicles. In each, autopilot disengaged “less than one second before impact” – far too little time for the driver to react. Critics warn that this behaviour could allow Tesla to argue in court that autopilot was not active at the moment of impact, potentially dodging responsibility.
This is on purpose. Disengaging autopilot just before an unavoidable impact will shift all responsibility towards the driver, as Tesla can claim that autopilot was not active at the time of impact, which would be technically correct. This way Tesla can avoid a lot of compensation. It’s all about money, not safety.
This is on purpose. Disengaging autopilot just before an unavoidable impact will shift all responsibility towards the driver, as Tesla can claim that autopilot was not active at the time of impact, which would be technically correct. This way Tesla can avoid a lot of compensation. It’s all about money, not safety.