TEXAS, EU.- Two people died last Saturday night in a Tesla accident while driving without anyone behind the wheel in Harris, Texas in the United States, north of the city of Houston, according to inform the county authorities.
One of the dead was in the passenger seat and another in the back seat. Corresponding authorities said on Sunday (April 18) that they have “99.9%” certainty that “no one was driving the vehicle at the time of the impact.”
The Tesla crashed at high speed against a tree at a bend and firefighters needed four hours to put out the blaze.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the airbags were deployed and whether the vehicle had assisted driving activated, an intelligent assistance system that Tesla markets as “autopilot” or “autopilot.”
For its part, the American company asks its drivers to be on the lookout for driving at all times to take control of the vehicle and invite them to activate the intelligent assistance system, as it is safer than driving. without him.
The accident occurs when Tesla begins testing a system with some of its drivers “Total autonomous driving”. Despite this innovation, the automotive company demands that the driver keep his hands behind the wheel at all times.
Experts have criticized the company for using terms like “Autopilot” and give a false appearance of autonomy to the vehicle.
In turn, the U.S. Highway Safety Agency (NHTSA) is looking into the possibility of imposing rules to ensure the attention of drivers behind the wheel, while new automations of driving are implanted in the motor industry.
The NHTS is investigating more than twenty Tesla electric vehicle accidents while using the assisted driving system.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk also defended the safety history of his electrical performances and this week said that driving assistance allows for a chance. “10 times smaller” accident.
With information from La República