In a further blow to both automaker Tesla and the burgeoning self-driving car movement, a Tesla Model S was found yesterday to have collided with a parked police vehicle in southern California.
The police cruiser, owned by the Laguna Beach Police Department, was apparently ‘totaled’ by the incident, as reported by the Los Angeles Times - though the officer in charge of the cruiser was not inside at the time. The Tesla driver, on the other hand, sustained minor injuries after engaging the sedan’s ‘autopilot’ mode went awry.
The incident comes mere weeks after a new transport bill came into effect across California that eased restrictions on driverless cars, legally permitting the vehicles to be controlled remotely without a driver behind the wheel - at a time when public trust in such vehicles is rapidly waning.
Running on autopilot
The driverless feature comes packaged as standard in all Tesla vehicles, which the automaker’s website describes as having “the hardware needed for full self-driving capability at a safety level substantially greater than that of a human driver”.
It is intended to match the speed of the car to surrounding traffic conditions, and use an enhanced vision processing system to navigate obstacles.
However, the company openly views its navigation software as an ‘assist mode’, meant to ease the burden of long stretches of motorway, rather than a replacement for human navigation. It is not recommended for use in more complex urban road systems.
It’s often difficult, of course, to gauge where the fault in such an incident lies. Tesla’s usual response cites human error, suggesting drivers were distracted or ignored prompts by the vehicle to resume manual steering. It the latest in several high-profile collisions with self-driving cars, the most notable being Uber’s fatal collision with a pedestrian in March of this year.
It comes at difficult time for Tesla’s public image, shortly after the company was forced to recall a staggering number of Model S cars due to a steering defect.
- Here’s why Tesla is recalling 123,000 Model S cars
- Driverless cars explained: everything you need to know
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