Arizona has seen its fair share of accidents involving self-driving vehicles lately. Just days before a self-driving Uber was involved in a traffic incident in Tempe, a Tesla Model X on autopilot struck a police motorcycle in Phoenix. The state has been testing out automated driving options lately, with poor results.
The Tesla and the police vehicle exited the Black Canyon Freeway onto Utopia Road. The officer stopped at a light, and the Tesla stopped behind him for a brief moment before attempting to continue forward. He had to jump off his motorcycle and out of the way before he was hit, with the car hitting his bike from the rear. Luckily, there was no damage done to either vehicle, and no one was harmed.
A driver was present in the vehicle at the time of the accident. He reported that the car was on autopilot and that there was no time to stop the accident from happening. Because no one was hurt and no damage was done, the policeman did not issue a citation.
Tesla officials say they never received a copy of the accident report and that no incident was mentioned to them. They do not feel the vehicle’s efforts should be made light due to one simple mistake. The company hopes to continue with their model and allow the autopilot option to remain.
Tesla hopes to roll out a line of fully automated vehicles at one point after all the kinks are worked out. Until then, they are steadily adding more enhanced options, but a driver is still required in the vehicle at all times.
Self-driving cars aren’t completely safe yet—even with a driver present. Luckily, it seems that the companies involved in this industry are working hard to make sure the safest products are on the road. However, even with the best self-driving cars and autopilot technology, there’s still a chance that car accidents will happen.
Have you been hurt in a car accident and someone else was to blame? Wagner Law has the experience you need on your side. Call us at 602-456-4166 or visit us online to get started with a free consultation.
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