The driver who was killed using Autopilot mode in his Tesla Model S in May this year is said to have been exceeding the speed limit at the time of the crash. This has been revealed following an investigation into the incident by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Who is responsible?
The fact that the Model S was exceeding the speed limit when Autopilot was engaged still leaves it unclear as to who was responsible for the crash. It also raises the question of why Tesla’s Autopilot feature is not capped to stay within the legal speed limit.
Suspicions over whether the driver, Joshua Brown, was speeding were raised prior to the investigation due to the severity of the fatal accident, which saw the Model S’s roof ripped off by a tractor trailer and the body of the car split in two by an electrical pole.
Tesla Model S safety
This is particularly shocking due to the reputation of the Model S’s safety, which saw it receive a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. In fact, when undergoing safety tests back in 2013, the Model S broke some of the testing equipment due to its astonishing rigidity.
We will report further on this story as it develops.
