On Aug. 7, a Tesla Model S that was in autopilot mode on Highway 175 in Kaufman crashed into a guardrail at 80 miles per hour, injuring the occupant and throwing his dog into the back seat.
The occupant stated that he reached down to pet his dog and to grab a rag and when he looked up the accident occurred.
He was knocked unconscious and woke up later surrounded by airbags. He was treated for bruising, cuts and a concussion and is grateful that he and his dog are alive.
While the occupant believes that the car saved his life, he also thinks that the car caused the accident and is speaking out about the dangers of self-driving cars in hopes of saving other people’s lives.
This is the latest in a series of self-driving Tesla vehicle collisions, including a fatal crash in May, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is still investigating.
Although the autopilot feature is touted by some Tesla salespeople as a way to avoid having hands glued to the steering wheel, Tesla describes autopilot as a ‘hands-on experience.’
The victim of the most recent Tesla crash agrees as he believes the autopilot feature can give people a ‘false sense of security and reiterates that drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheels and their feet on the pedals. He is not suing the manufacturer and he still drives a Tesla but not in autopilot mode.
Tesla recently announced that it is improving autopilot by incorporating updated radar signal processing in an attempt to reduce self-driving vehicles from crashing.
If you have been injured because of a self-driving car, contact the skilled auto accident attorneys in Ft Worth at Anderson Cummings today. A Fort Worth injury attorney from our firm can fight for maximum compensation for the damages you have suffered.
Contact us today by calling (817) 920-9000 or filling out a Free Case Evaluation form.