A Tesla owner is facing the risk of being jailed for an accident that was caused involving the autopilot mode. A crash in 2019, involving the Tesla Model S owner caused the death of two people. The Tesla car was found to be running on Autopilot when the accident happened. Also Read - Tesla to have self-driving cars on road without human drivers by May 2023, says Elon Musk
Years after the accident, a case has been filed against the driver of the Tesla for vehicular manslaughter. The car had overrun a red light which then went on to name into a Honda Civic, killing two people, according to a report by AP. The report suggests that the driver, Kevin George Aziz Riad, 27, has pleaded not guilty. The accused is a limousine service driver and he is currently free on bail. Also Read - Tesla is on my mind 24/7, says Elon Musk amid concerns over Twitter distraction
This is the first time a Tesla owner is facing felony charges in the US, after meeting with an accident involving the use of the autopilot feature. The outcome of this case could set the narrative of what is to be done about conflicts where a human is not directly responsible for an accident or any mishap. However, it is to be noted that none of the cars in the US are allowed to self-drive completely. Also Read - Hackers can steal your Tesla, smartphones using a simple Bluetooth hack
Past Incidents involving Tesla Autopilot
Tesla is already facing dozens of cases involving fatalities. It was found that the car was being driven on autopilot in most of these cases. The electric car maker has labeled its self-driving tech as a Level 2 system. It is considered to be partially automated. Even while it is partially automated, the driver will need to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times.
The lack of any sensors to detect driver involvement has also been a big debate surrounding Tesla. Many Tesla owners have been found either sitting or even sleeping on the back seat of the car while it is moving at high speeds. Multiple videos surfaced where drivers were found to be extremely careless with the autopilot tech. The federal agencies of the United States have emphasised that currently there is no self-driving tech that is completely reliable.
