Tesla Vehicle with Autonomous Driving Assist Collides with Police Car in the US

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] As the U.S. federal transportation authorities investigate vehicle collision accidents related to Tesla's autonomous driving assistance feature, Autopilot, a Tesla vehicle using this feature collided with a police car.

According to CNBC on the 29th (local time), the Florida Highway Patrol reported that a Tesla electric vehicle crashed into a police car parked on the shoulder, and notified the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the incident.

According to the police, the accident occurred on the afternoon of the 28th on Highway 4 near Orlando, Florida.

The driver involved in the accident was operating a Tesla Model 3 electric vehicle with the Autopilot feature activated and consecutively collided with a police car and a passenger car parked on the road shoulder.

At the time, the police had stopped the patrol car to assist the driver of another passenger car that had broken down, and it is understood that the Tesla driver and the passenger car driver sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Foreign media reported that it has not yet been confirmed whether Autopilot was the direct cause of this accident, but the controversy surrounding Autopilot accidents is expected to grow.

The NHTSA launched a sudden investigation on 11 accidents related to Tesla's Autopilot system starting from the 16th.

AP News reported that among the accidents under investigation by the transportation authorities, 17 people were injured and one person died, and depending on the investigation results, Tesla may face recalls or other sanctions.

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