JAKARTA – A Tesla car collided with a parked police car and a Mercedes SUV in Orlando, Florida, Saturday, August 28. The crash came after the driver put the car on autopilot, a feature that is now increasingly being watched by federal regulators and US lawmakers.
The Orlando Division of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) tweeted that a Florida state police officer had been stopped along the side of Interstate 4 to assist a "disabled" Mercedes.
A woman driving a 2019 Tesla Model 3 told officers she had activated the autopilot before the right front side of her car hit the left side of the police car as well as the front of the SUV.
Photos posted on social media by FHP showed extensive damage to the vehicle, although the department noted that the policeman was standing outside his car at the time of the accident. The agency did not report any casualties or injuries from the incident.
Happening now: Orange County. Trooper stopped to help a disabled motorist on I-4. When Tesla driving on “auto” mode struck the patrol car. Trooper was outside of car and extremely lucky to have not been struck. #moveovers. WB lanes of I-4 remain block as scene is being cleared. pic.twitter.com/w9N7cE4bAR
— FHP Orlando (@FHPOrlando) August 28, 2021
FHP said it was carrying out an investigation into the crash to officially determine whether the autopilot feature played a role in the incident.
The crash is the latest incident involving a Tesla vehicle on autopilot. The accident occurred in March when a self-driving Tesla crashed into a Michigan state police vehicle.
While no injuries were reported in the March crash, at least 11 people since 2015 have died in collisions in which the autopilot feature was activated.
The company argues that the technology is tested and safe, with the user manual noting that the feature does not make the vehicle fully autonomous.
Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it would open an official investigation into the autopilot feature in Tesla Model Y, X, S and 3 vehicles released from 2014 to 2021.
A few days later, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) wrote to the Federal Trade Commission asking him to investigate Tesla's marketing of the feature.
The lawmaker wrote at the time that Tesla "has repeatedly overestimated the capabilities of its vehicles, and these statements further pose a threat to motorists and other road users."
"Therefore, we urge you to open an investigation into the potentially deceptive and unfair practices in Tesla's advertising and marketing of its driving automation system and take appropriate enforcement action to ensure the safety of all drivers on the road," they added.
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