Tesla has responded to a recent accident in the US state of California that killed the driver of a Model X. The company says the reason is not yet clear, because it has not yet been able to view the log files.
Tesla writes in a blog post that the damage to the vehicle makes it difficult to obtain the log files and that it is working with the appropriate authorities to retrieve the files from the computer in the car. It is therefore not currently possible to say whether the autopilot function of the car was switched on at the time of the accident. The US National Transportation Safety Board said on Tuesday that dinsdag not certain whether Autopilot was engaged and to investigate the fire that started in the vehicle after the accident. The organization tells The Wall Street Journal that Autopilot is not the subject of the investigation.
According to Tesla, the batteries in its cars are designed so that fire can only spread slowly, giving occupants time to get out of the vehicle. According to eyewitnesses, this was also the case in this accident. The company adds that Autopilot travels 200 times a day on the stretch of road where the accident occurred. Since the introduction of this driving function in 2015, the total number is said to have increased to 85,000 times. The accident, according to the company, was so serious as a result of the removal or shortening of a ripple tube obstacle protector due to another accident. This so-called rimob is intended to reduce the force of a collision with, for example, a concrete road fence.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Model X hit such a barrier and was subsequently hit by two other vehicles. The NTSB, which is also now investigating, presented its findings last year from the investigation into a fatal Model S accident in May of 2016. At the time, the organization said the accident was due to both driver error and the high degree of automation of the Tesla. According to the company, the car collided with a white, crossing truck, because its visibility was lost against the white sky.
The American NHTSA, or National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, started an investigation into the role of Autopilot at the time and reported six months later that no defects had been found. The number of accidents would have decreased after the introduction of the function, the organization said. Tesla reiterates this conclusion in its current blog post. The manufacturer released Autopilot updates that focused on safety after the accident in 2016.
The news follows another accident involving an Uber self-driving car in which a 49-year-old woman was killed in a collision. According to a preliminary police investigation, this accident was difficult to prevent. The state of Arizona has banned Uber from further testing self-driving cars on its territory after Uber had already placed a temporary hiatus. Nvidia also announced on Tuesday that it would temporarily stop testing self-driving cars. The duration of the stop is not yet clear. In addition, Uber said Tuesday it will not apply for a new testing license in California if it expires on March 31, according to Cnet.