Tesla Automated Assisted Driving In Another Crash: Motorcyclist Killed On The Spot

Tesla's assisted driving feature has been involved in another fatal crash.

A motorcyclist in Draper, Utah, was reportedly struck by a Tesla driver using Autopilot on Sunday, killing the motorcyclist instantly.

The accident occurred early Sunday morning as the motorcyclist was traveling on southbound Interstate 15, heading south near the Salt Lake and Utah County line, according to the report.

The Tesla rear-ended the motorcycle from behind, and the motorcyclist was knocked to the ground, killing him instantly, and his identity has not yet been determined.

The driver of the Tesla said he did not see the motorcyclist at the time, and local authorities said the Tesla driver was using automatic assisted driving when the crash occurred.

The crash also caught the attention of the NHTSA, which reviews crashes involving advanced driver assistance systems (such as Tesla's Auto Assist) and those caused by Autopilot, and the crash is on the NHTSA's Special Crash Investigation (SCI) list.

The cause of the accident is unclear at this time, but according to the NHTSA's previous investigation of 16 accidents in which Tesla owners using Auto Assist crashed into stationary emergency vehicles, most of the accidents occurred after dark and the Auto Assist drivers failed to notice warning lights, signals, cones and illuminated arrow boards.

Also, as of July 26, there were 48 crashes on NHTSA's SCI list, 39 of which were related to Tesla vehicles, and 19 of those 39 crashes resulted in fatalities.


About Author
John Murphy

John Murphy is the founder of TOPCARS Tesla Aftermarket Accessories, as well as an investor in Tesla and owner of the Model Y. He posts about Tesla news while running the site on a daily basis.

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