Tesla Autopilot Feature In Question: Is It Really Safe?

There has been much talk surrounding autonomous vehicles over the past couple of years, with a lot of leading car and technology manufacturers dabbling in this. Elon Musk's Tesla is no exception, as it is currently one of the leaders in the field of self-driving cars. However, a lot of questions have been asked regarding the safety of Tesla's autopilot feature after a fatal crash had occurred.

According to reports from USA Today, the crash occurred near Willingston after a tractor-trailer collided with a Tesla Model S in a busy highway. "Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied," said Tesla in an official blog post on the incident. It has been reported that the Tesla Model S passed under the trailer and smashed its windshield, which unfortunately resulted in the driver dying due to injuries sustained in the crash.

The driver of the Tesla was identified as 40-year old Joshua Brown, a former NAVY seal and owner of Nexu Solutions. Brown was seen to be confident of the autopilot feature as he posted a YouTube video back in April showing his car swerving to avoid a truck that had cut him off. The driver of truck was Frank Baressi who told the Associated Press that Brown was watching a "Harry Potter" movie at the time the accident happened.

Tesla has backed the safety of its autopilot feature. Reports claim that the drivers hands need to be on the steering wheel at all times while the car is on autopilot mode to ensure that he or she still has some control over the vehicle even though it is in its self-driving mode. The driver will be alerted if hands are not detected on the wheel and the car's speed will gradually decrease until it detects otherwise.