Months after a fatal May 2016 crash in which the Autopilot system and the vehicle's driver failed to brake for a semi truck that was crossing a Florida highway, Tesla began shipping each of its new vehicles with more cameras and sensors to give them 360-degree visibility.
Tesla Inc. (TSLA) shares took a hit Monday following reports that a Minnesota man crashed his auto while engaged in the vehicle's "autopilot" semi-autonomous feature.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department said in a statement on Sunday that the driver of the 2016 Tesla had said that when he engaged the Autopilot system it caused the vehicle to suddenly accelerate and then roll over, resulting in minor injuries to himself and four passengers. Motorist David Clark told deputies that when he engaged the Autopilot feature, the vehicle suddenly accelerated, left the roadway and overturned in a marsh. "I believe we started to make the turn but then felt the auto give way and lose its footing like we hit loose gravel", Clark wrote in the email. That was the feeling that I was trying to describe to you that I had lost control of the vehicle.
Autopilot automatically maintains a set speed, slows down and brakes in traffic and keeps the vehicle within a lane. Drivers can take their hands off the wheel, but only for short periods. After discussing the crash with his fellow passengers, he now believes that he disengaged Autopilot by stepping on the accelerator before the crash.
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Autopilot has faced intense scrutiny in the past from United States regulators.
Tesla's statement responding to the Minnesota crash emphasized that whenever drivers activate the autopilot, "they are reminded of their responsibility to remain engaged and to be prepared to take immediate action at all times, and drivers must acknowledge their responsibility to do so before autopilot is enabled".
Federal investigators reviewed the crash and chose not to impose a recall, concluding there was no safety defect involved in the collision.
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