Just days after Tesla CEO and founder Elon Musk touts the latest release of an updated Full Self-driving (FDS) software, Washington State Police confirm that a Tesla sedan involved in a fatal April crash had FDS on when it crashed into the motorcyclist.
The April 19th crash involving a 2022 Tesla Model S led to the death of a 28-year-old man who was ejected from the motorcycle when hit by the electric car (EV) and died at the scene.
The 56-year-old Tesla driver told police he was in self-driving mode, looking down at his phone when distracted by his phone when it happened, the Associated Press reported at the time.
“The next thing he knew, there was a bang, and the vehicle lurched forward as it accelerated and collided with the motorcycle in front of him," a trooper had written in the police report. The motorcyclist died after being stuck under the Tesla, according to the driver.
The driver's account of the collision was confirmed after police were able to retrieve information from the car’s event data recorder, a police captain told a local NBC affiliate in Seattle who spoke with the state patrol on Tuesday.
Meantime, Musk on Monday posted to his social media platform X that Tesla’s “FSD 12.5.1 starts wide release today,” asking the EV owners to “Please connect your Tesla to WiFi to receive the update.”
FSD 12.5.1 starts wide release today.
undefined Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2024
Please connect your Tesla to WiFi to receive the update.
It’s at least the second fatal crash involving the automaker's autopilot or “Full Self-Driving” technology, even though Tesla repeatedly states in its manuals that drivers must actively supervise the road at all times, keeping their hands on the wheel and when using the feature.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there was one other fatal accident involving a Tesla using FSD software between August 2022 and August 2023, which triggered an official investigation into the software.
That incident, involved a Los Angeles driver who fatally crashed while using a beta version of Tesla’s Autopilot system.
As a result of the probe, the NHTSA forced the car manufacturer to recall nearly two million Teslas in December 2023 due to safety concerns over the advanced system.
Although a jury found that Tesla was not liable for the man's death in a much-publicized trial ending last November, it was still considered one of the largest recalls in Tesla’s history. This past February, another 350,000 Teslas were recalled for having faulty self-driving software.
The Autopilot features come standard with all new Tesla vehicles, although owners can choose to upgrade to an enhanced version.
Musk has often stated his ambition is to eventually manufacture autonomous vehicles that require no human intervention.
In an interview with the Tesla Owners of Silicon Valley club last weekend, Musk said he expects future Teslas will be like a "tiny mobile lounge" where drivers will be able to watch movies, play video games, work, and even drink and sleep, Reuters reported.
"There are so many things that can go wrong" with Tesla's camera-only system, said Guidehouse Insights analyst Sam Abuelsamid, singling out the EV's ability to accurately measure how far away an object is.
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