How Many More Must Die Till They Realise That "autopilot" Will Never Work?

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/01/tesla-driver-killed-autopilot-self-driving-car-harry-potter
I don't blame the guy watching a film he was probably taken in by the hype.

[hc4361]

Yes, it's not the Tesla that is on general sale at the moment

[EDDIE51]

^^ Then why does the link say that drivers are reminded to keep their hands on the wheel? The driver is the back up, but this guy obviously was not!

[hc4361]

Because they don't need to keep their hands on the wheel to steer it, Eddie. As it is still a test vehicle the driver should have stayed alert and vigilant at all times

[EDDIE51]

^ all the more reason for having a reliable test driver then, why was he watching a video?

[hc4361]

Apologies - the car is on general sale but the autopilot mode is in beta and the driver is advised to keep their hands on the wheel 'just in case'.

So this wasn't a professional test driver.

Tesla has stressed that the driver is responsible for the vehicle at all times and Tesla will not accept any liability for any accidents.

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/21/tesla-autopilot-goes-wrong-videos

[pixie374]

This sounds a dangerous mixture. I assume you can always override the autopilot? So why would you want the car to drive for you? (Unless you were drunk...)

[ABerrant]

"I thought there was a 55 mph max speed limit on US roads?"

The federal mandatory National Maximum Speed Law prohibiting speeds above 55 mph on any road was a response to the 1973 Oil Crisis.

1987-1988 saw Congress permitting states to raise speed limits to 65 mph on Interstate highways.

Congress lifted all federal speed limit controls in 1995, returning all speed limit determination authority to the individual states.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maximum_Speed_Law


The plethora of state maximum speed limits are listed here...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_limits_in_the_United_States

[ToraToraTora]

"Tesla has stressed that the driver is responsible for the vehicle at all times and Tesla will not accept any liability for any accidents. " - well what's the kin point then?

[sapelesam]

The German authorities (TUV) have banned Tesla from using the word Autopilot in their literature, as they believe it's a misleading term.

[mikey4444]

I am with TTT here. The reality is that this driver was not in charge of his own car, and the technology failed completely.

A case could be made I suppose, for these daft convoys of lorries, with only one having a real driver, but where is the justification for allowing this in a private car ?

This was an accident waiting to happen, and its utter madness.