[Column] Are We Prepared for Accidents in the Autonomous Electric Vehicle Era?

Tesla vehicle involved in the accident [Provided by Yongsan Fire Station]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The Tesla electric vehicle (Model X) accident that occurred in a parking lot on December 9 last year attracted significant public attention. As the accident led to a battery fire inside the electric vehicle, it took more than an hour to fully extinguish the fire, and the statement at the time that "the electrically operated car door may not have opened" raised concerns.

After four months of investigation, the police concluded that the cause was not a vehicle defect but the driver’s (a designated driver) mishandling. According to the forensic results requested from the National Forensic Service, no mechanical defects were found in the braking system. Additionally, the telematics (wireless internet service for vehicles) driving data inspection revealed that, contrary to the driver’s claim, the brake was not applied from the parking lot entrance to the collision, and only the accelerator pedal was operated. In particular, acceleration started 10 seconds before the collision, and from 4 seconds before, the accelerator pedal was pressed to the maximum, resulting in an estimated speed of about 95 km/h at the time of impact. The event data recorder (EDR), which contains key information such as speed, accelerator pedal displacement, and brake operation status, was damaged by the fire and could not be analyzed by the National Forensic Service.

There are claims that it is impossible to definitively determine driver fault or sudden unintended acceleration based on limited information. The designated driver is neither intoxicated nor a beginner, and there is actually no reason for the driver to press the accelerator pedal in the parking lot. There are also calls for Tesla to disclose what telematics information it provided. The National Forensic Service’s analysis only shows that the speed reached that level; it cannot determine whether this was due to a vehicle defect or driver error.

The rapidly approaching future of electric and autonomous vehicles also brings new risks and anxieties. Future vehicles, equipped with numerous electronic devices and batteries and incorporating autonomous driving algorithms, are not immune to unexpected accidents such as sudden unintended acceleration or fires. Like internal combustion engines, electronic devices can also have defects, and accidents caused by these can be life-threatening. Subsidies for electric vehicle adoption and policies for establishing electric vehicle charging stations are pouring in. As efforts accelerate to secure a lead in future industries, preparations to reduce accident risks are urgently needed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.