Tesla won a victory on Tuesday in one of the tests of its controversial driver assistance system “Autopilot”: A jury found that there was no manufacturing defect in a Tesla that was involved in a fatal accident in 2019.
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“While we are disappointed with the ruling, there is no denying that this urgent issue is now receiving national attention,” Jonathan Michaels, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, responded to AFP’s query.
“Despite its size, Tesla was pushed to its limits during the process. “The jury’s lengthy deliberations suggest that there is still an air of uncertainty in the verdict,” he said.
The case, decided Tuesday in a court in Riverside County in Southern California, concerns an accident that occurred after a 2019 Tesla Model 3 turned right onto a highway near Los Angeles, struck a tree and caught fire. The driver died from his injuries.
According to survivors, two of the driver’s relatives, the car left the road due to the autopilot and the driver was unable to control it.
After a month of negotiations and four days of deliberations, nine of the twelve members of the jury concluded that there was no manufacturing defect in this vehicle’s driver assistance system.
However, their ruling does not exonerate the software in general, which has been accused by many industry players and experts of giving drivers the false impression that the car is driving itself.
Tesla has been offering “Autopilot” in all new cars for several years, which makes it possible to adapt the speed to the traffic and stay in the lane. The company states on its website that drivers must remain alert and keep their hands on the steering wheel.
Elon Musk’s flagship also offers and tests advanced options such as lane changing, parking assistance or traffic light consideration, which are integrated into the “Enhanced Autopilot” or “Fully Autonomous Driving Capability” depending on the country.
The billionaire has been promising complete autonomy for years.
At the start of 2022, Tesla had to disable an option that allowed cars not to come to a complete stop at “stop” under certain conditions.
Another case involving the autopilot’s role in a fatal accident is expected to go to trial next year.
Tesla did not immediately respond to an inquiry from AFP.