Tesla system partly to blame for fatal 2016 crash

NEW YORK: The “Autopilot” system used in Tesla automobiles was partly to blame for a fatal May 2016 crash in Florida where the electric car slammed into a truck, a US safety report concluded

The driver’s “overreliance” on the Tesla system -- designed as a semi-autonomous diving system to be used with a human operator -- permitted “prolonged disengagement” that led to the collision with the freight trailer, the National Transportation Safety Board re

The system also permitted the driver to use the system on a road not intended for Autopilot, NTSB

“Tesla allowed the driver to use the system outside the environment for which it was designed,”

“And the system gave too much leeway to the driver to divert his attention to something other than that frankly should never have

The report looked at factors be old Tesla enthusiast Joshua Brown died after failing to respond to seven warnings from the Tesla system to

Since the accident, Tesla has updated its Autopilot system to shut off if a driver fails to respond after during a hearing that this change would have disabled Autopilot in

However, NTSB staff pointed to other defects in Autopilot that have not been addressed, such as the fact that Brown was driving on a road that was not intended to ride

The Tesla system, despite being able to take readings of speed limits and other key factors, does not

“It is not geofenced not to happen in certain locations,” said

At the time of the crash, Brown km) per hour in an area where the speed limit was 65 mph, when he collided with the semitrailer under the trailer and smashed into a utility pole, according to

NTSB staff did not reach conclusions as to the reason for the Tesla driver’s inattention, or for why the

The Florida Highway Patrol found trace amounts of marijuana in the truck driver’s blood, but the NTSB was unable to determine if the drug

Tesla’s response

The report has been closely watched because Tesla is at the forefront of automated driving, a technology the potential to enhance overall mobility, but also fraught with potential

Tesla said in a statement after the NTSB report that its Autopilot sys as NHTSA has found that it reduces

The automaker added that “we appreciate the NTSB’s analysis of last year’s tragic accident and we will evaluate their recommendations as we

The company said it would “continue to be extremely clear with current and potential customers that Autopilot is not a fully self-driving technology and drivers need to remain attentive

In January, an investigation by the US Transportation Department said it found no “defect” in the