'Autopilot' Safety Concerns Raised as 2 Die in Tesla Self-Driving Crash (Summary)

Accident During Driverless Driving
Musk Mentioned "Accident Risk 1/10 Compared to Conventional Vehicles" Before Incident
Vehicle Collided with Tree and Burned Down... Fire Suppressed Over Four Hours

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] A Tesla Model S vehicle without a driver in the driver's seat caused a collision accident, resulting in the deaths of two occupants. Police suspect that the accident occurred while using Tesla's semi-autonomous driving feature, 'Autopilot,' and are investigating the detailed cause of the accident. Safety concerns regarding autonomous driving functions are expected to intensify.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 18th (local time), a Tesla vehicle carrying two men crashed into a tree near Houston, Texas, the day before, causing a fire. According to the police, one of the deceased was found in the front passenger seat, and the other was found dead in the back seat.

The police explained, "Although this is a preliminary investigation, it appears certain that no one was in the driver's seat of the vehicle." Authorities reported that the two men told their wives about the Autopilot feature before leaving home. Authorities are investigating whether the vehicle's Autopilot feature was activated at the time of the collision. They determined that the accident vehicle was traveling at high speed on a curved road.

Tesla advises drivers not to take their hands off the steering wheel when using the Autopilot feature, but concerns have grown that many people regard Autopilot as a fully autonomous driving function.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating whether the Autopilot feature was involved in more than 24 collision accidents related to Tesla vehicles.

This incident occurred ahead of the release of Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) subscription service beta version. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently emphasized that vehicles equipped with the Autopilot feature have a tenfold lower risk of accidents compared to average vehicles.

The fact that the vehicle was completely burned after the accident has also drawn attention. The New York Times reported that it took four hours to extinguish the fire and 110,000 liters of water were used, noting that it was different from typical vehicle fires that can usually be put out in a few minutes. In electric vehicle accidents, there is a high possibility of additional fires from batteries that still have power. Tesla advises that in the event of a vehicle battery fire, it is better to let it burn completely rather than attempt to extinguish it.