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Summary
- Elon Musk reacts to the Texas car crash in a tweet.
- Concerns about self-driven cars’ safety spark.
- One of the victims identified was a Doctor.
With the recent Texas car crash that involved a self-driven Tesla Car, there were several concerns raised on how much these vehicles can truly be tested for safety. It was found that one man was seated in the passenger seat, while the other was in the back. As the vehicle missed a turn, collided into a tree, and burst into flames, the fire department had to use as much as 30,000 gallons of water to put it out, because the battery of the car apparently caused the fire to keep reigniting.
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Elon Musk, Tesla react
Quick on his heels, Tesla CEO Elon Musk reacted on Twitter saying that the self-drive feature wasn’t enabled in the car. He also said that an additional feature, which costs about $10,000, was responsible for the car to be completely self-driven, right from changing lanes to self-parking. There is going to be a detailed search through warrant at Tesla to determine the data related to the vehicle in question.
Also read: Tesla jumps on Bitcoin bandwagon, how is the crypto currency looking on charts?
Government regulations on self-driven vehicles
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the US still has to lay out stringent guidelines on the standards of vehicles that are completely autonomous in function. With no real technical standards set in sight, besides the basics like vehicles having a steering wheel or other human controls, there is a confusion over what’s ok to be on the roads and what’s not.
This isn’t nearly the first time a Tesla self-driven vehicle has been under fire for a crash. There have been several incidents in the recent past that have brought about attention to the safety parameters the company adheres to, and whether or not they are enough.
Also read: NHTSA To Investigate Another Tesla Crash Involving Autopilot
About the Victims
Meanwhile, one of the victims in the crash has been identified as Dr. William Varner, an anaesthesiologist. The Woodlands Medical Centre in a statement expressed grief on his sudden death and said he should be cherished for the wonderful person he was. The other victim in the crash, though hasn’t been named yet, is said to have been born in 1951.
Way Ahead of times?
Besides the brand Tesla, there are several other car companies that are coming up with their own versions of self-driven vehicles, each raising the same question, how really safe is it? Is it really just a distant dream that we humans are trying to achieve years before we have the technical finesse for? Something to think about!
Also read: Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) Competing With Fast-Growing China Based EVs
