A Miami jury ruled Tesla partially liable for a 2019 fatal crash, citing failures in Autopilot safeguards, not just driver error. This landmark decision could reshape regulatory scrutiny and manufacturer responsibility in autonomous vehicles.
For years, Tesla and other automakers have hidden behind their semi-autonomous driving systems because they provide warnings that vehicles aren’t capable of driving themselves. It makes the names used by Tesla, such as Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving as challenging to support because these names hint at vehicles that can drive themselves. Still, many automakers have refused to take responsibility for their systems in crashes, until now.
Tesla shares responsibility
For the first time, a jury placed blame on the automaker for a crash involving its hands-free driving system. A jury in Florida applied partial negligence to Tesla’s shoulders because it failed to add enough safeguards against drivers using the Autopilot system improperly. This verdict could pave the way for future regulations that should provide more guardrails for these systems. Despite Tesla’s claims that Autopilot is not a fully autonomous system, the jury found that there weren’t enough guards in place to keep the driver in the case from trusting the vehicle and its systems.
This isn’t the first court case against Tesla
Tesla has been under fire for several years. Whether it’s the Autopilot system failing to recognize objects in the vehicle’s path of travel, or batteries that have caught fire and disintegrated the entire vehicle, which is extremely dangerous. Until now, Tesla has avoided responsibility for any wrongdoing involving its Autopilot system, but that has changed and could open a floodgate against the automaker in cases like this.
Drivers are supposed to pay attention
There’s no denying that drivers should and are expected to pay attention to the road when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Most modern vehicles have made it much easier for drivers to feel confident, allowing the vehicle to warn them of potential dangers or maintain safe spaces. This has led to more distracted driving, which is extremely dangerous. Some drivers have become so comfortable with partially automated systems in vehicles that they fail to follow simple roadway guidelines and pay attention to the road ahead. In fact, it might be better for most new drivers, especially teenagers, to have vehicles that force them to pay attention to the road and minimize distractions.
Our cars allow more distractions than ever before
Every year, infotainment screens get larger than the year before. These screens are a major source of distraction on the roadway. Add this to the many drivers who do their makeup, scroll social media, eat breakfast, manage children, or simply have their minds on other tasks, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. It’s not surprising that modern drivers need electronic nannies to help keep them safe and out of harm’s way. Despite efforts to add features, such as head-up displays and AI-based voice recognition systems, most drivers face several distractions while behind the wheel.
Confusion and risk multiplied
Most modern vehicles have partially automated safety systems to warn drivers of potential dangers. Not all vehicles include hands-free driving systems, but many have warning items, such as adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, emergency braking warning and assist, and collision warning. When these systems fail, most drivers aren’t ready to take over and make sudden driving changes because they have learned to trust the technology included in their vehicles. As the defendant in the case testified:
“I trusted the technology too much. I believed that if the car saw something in front of it, it would provide a warning and apply the brakes.”
– George McGee, co-defendant
Crashing at high speed
When McGee’s Tesla didn’t warn him of impending danger, his vehicle slammed into a couple’s parked car at more than 60 miles per hour. McGee admitted he was distracted by his cellphone before the crash, but he put his faith in the Tesla Autopilot system to keep him safe and out of harm’s way.
Tesla’s system had no restrictions
Some automakers have semi-autonomous systems that allow for hands-free driving on mapped roads. Others allow the system to be used when the vehicle’s systems can read road lines, but Tesla has always prided itself on providing a system that isn’t restricted by some of these limitations. Still, Tesla should have restrictions for its Autopilot system to keep it from being used on roads for which it wasn’t designed.
Six years since the crash, technology has improved
The crash in question took place in 2019 and most technology, including the Tesla Autopilot system, has improved since that time. In fact, many Tesla vehicles are updated regularly with improved programming to the Autopilot system. This happens easily thanks to over-the air updates, which has been a Tesla staple for years. Still, this verdict is a huge blow to Elon Musk, who has been betting on self-driving technology in future Tesla EVs.
The demand for electric vehicles has cooled off significantly, especially since the beginning of the current presidential term. This means Musk might be in a lot of trouble, and a verdict that puts his company at fault, even partially, doesn’t help at all. Additionally, Tesla shareholders sued the company and Elon Musk for securities fraud, which could deal another heavy blow to the polarizing CEO.
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