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Limitations in Tesla’s automated driving systems were a contributing factor in a fatal crash last year

September 12th, 2017  |  Canadian Business

On Tuesday, the National Transportation Safety Board came forth to state that the limitations of the Tesla Model S's Autopilot were a major contributing factor in a fatal crash that took place in May of last year. The incident was the first known fatal crash on a highway involving a vehicle operating under automated control systems.

The NTSB cited that the cause of the crash was due to an inattentive driver putting too much stock into the technology while driving on a high-speed highway, when a truck driver made a left-hand turn, cutting in front of the car.

"In this crash, Tesla's system worked as designed, but it was designed to perform limited tasks in a limited range of environments," NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt said. "Tesla allowed the driver to use the system outside of the environment for which it was designed."

Tesla has informed Model S owners that automated systems should only be used on limited-access highways, but have not incorporated any protection in the event that the technology is used on other types of roads. NTSB recommends that Tesla should put safeguards in place to keep drivers engaged, and prevent autopilot from being used beyond its intended purposes.

Tesla issued a statement regarding the NTSB’s findings, saying, "We appreciate the NTSB's analysis of last year's tragic accident and we will evaluate their recommendations as we continue to evolve our technology."