Tesla Model 3 loses control, kills man at bus shelter

A Tesla Model 3 span out of control on a wet road and collided with a bus shelter, killing a man sitting in it and raising new concerns over the safety and accountability of the car maker's Autopilot system. What happened The Tesla Model 3 lost control and hydroplaned on a wet roadway, leading to a collision with a bus shelter and to the death of Bernard A. Jones, who was sitting in the shelter at the time. The bus sh el ter was de molished. 37 year-old Demarco M. Hill was later found to have been driving the Tesla too fast, and was charged with first-degree vehicular homicide and reckless driving. Why it happened Early reports indicated that the vehicle's loss of control was likely exacerbated by the wet conditions, which can cause hydroplaning, where tires lose traction on water-covered surfaces. T he vehicle was a lso found to have been moving at approximately 77 mph in a 45 mph zone. Data later provided by Tesla to the NHTSA demonstrated that Autopilot was active at the time of the crash . What it means The crash underscores broad safety concerns about Tesla Autopilot and autonomous driving systems more generally. It also highlights the need for careful driver supervision, improved standards for autonomous driving systems, and the open reporting of autonomous system failures. System 🤖 Tesla Autopilot, Full-self Driving Developer: Tesla Country: USA Sector: Automotive Purpose: Automate steering, acceleration, braking Technology: Self-driving system Issue: Accuracy/reliability; Safety Legal, regulatory 👩🏼‍⚖️ Cobb County Police Department (2020). Fatal Traffic Collision

Date it happened

2020-09-01

Organisation involved

Demarco M. Hill

Product, system or model

Tesla Autopilot

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