Tesla’s Autopilot lulled driver into a state of ‘inattention’ in 2018 freeway crash

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

The driver of a Tesla Model S who crashed into a fire truck on a California freeway last year was not paying attention to the road thanks to “overreliance” on Autopilot, the National Transportation Safety Board said Wednesday. In addition, investigators determined that another probable cause for the crash was the design of Autopilot, “which permitted the driver to disengage from the driving task.”
NTSB also cited the driver’s “lack of response to the fire truck parked in his lane” and “use of the system in ways inconsistent with guidance and warnings from Tesla” as among the probable causes for the crash.
No one was injured, but the unidentified driver’s use of Autopilot has brought regulator and media attention to the incident. There…

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