Another Tesla has crashed with its Autopilot mode engaged, this time in China.
The Model S owner, 33-year-old programmer Luo Zhen said he was cruising along a highway in Beijing with Autopilot engaged. Unexpectedly, he says, the vehicle veered off the road and scrapped a parked vehicle, ripping off the parked car’s mirrors and severely scratching both cars.
Luo admitted that at the time of the impact, he was either looking at his phone or the in-car navigation system. Nevertheless, he is still blaming Tesla for the incident, even though the manufacturer stipulates that the driver’s hands should remain on the wheel when the driving aid is engaged.
The 33-year-old says Tesla staff who sold him the car promoted Autopilot as a ‘self-driving’ feature, giving him the impression that the car could safely and reliably drive itself in all conditions and on varying road surfaces.
In response, a Tesla spokeswoman told Reuters “We have never described Autopilot as an autonomous technology or a ‘self-driving car,’ and any third-party descriptions to this effect are not accurate. As clearly communicated to the driver in the vehicle, autosteer is an assist feature that requires the driver to keep his hands on the steering wheel at all times, to always maintain control and responsibility for the vehicle, and to be prepared to take over at any time.”
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