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Controversy surrounds Tesla's fatal accident: 'there are no self-driving cars'

Controversy surrounds Tesla’s fatal accident: ‘there are no self-driving cars’

The new Tesla accident intensifies the criticism over the autopilot upgrade.  Photo: STRF / STAR MAX / IPx

The new Tesla accident intensifies the criticism over the autopilot upgrade. Photo: STRF / STAR MAX / IPx

Tesla electric car manufacturer It is subject to scrutiny again after that Accident killing two passengers In the Houston area on Saturday evening, to promote their cars as self-driving.

Tesla CEO Elon MuskHe insisted that company controls showed this The car’s “autopilot” system did not operate When the accident occurred, controversy aroused again about this characteristic of the cars produced by the company.

Sherman Mark Hermann of Harris County, where the fatal accident occurred, said the evidence, including witness statements, clearly indicated that No one was in the driver’s seat on the Model S. When it collided with a tree on Saturday night, two people were killed.

This is not the first or second Tesla accident to feature autopilot, but it is the number 28, which has been investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Technology promotion, problem

The big problem is, largely, with the hype of Musk-powered Tesla, which describes its vehicles as being able to “completely autonomous” with a software update.

In fact, the most advanced technology available in new cars from Tesla, General Motors and Mercedes-Benz allows for spin, acceleration and braking under certain conditions, but its capabilities are still limited and drivers are supposed to pay constant attention to driving. highway.

He said, “I’ll start by saying that there are no self-driving cars despite what I read or what I saw in the advertisement.” USA Today Jake Fisher, Senior Director of Consumer Reports for Automotive Test. “And certainly there is no such thing as autonomous driving that is being produced now.”

On its website, Testa specifies that drivers are supposed to remain at the wheel at all times, ready to take over when the system is unable to steer, accelerate, or brake on its own. But the system is called autopilot, and some drivers are using “Autopilot Buddy,” an illegal shop now that tricks the car into believing the driver’s hands were on the steering wheel. The NHTSA issued an order to discontinue and discontinue the manufacturer of this device in June 2018.

“Autopilot is an intentionally misleading name used for a host of features that are essentially an advanced cruise control system,” Jason Levine, director of the Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC, said in an email. USA Today interview. “There is really no longer any doubt that Tesla’s marketing is leading consumers to the expected misuse of technology in a dangerous way.”

NHTSA has the last word.

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