Tesla is battling the second recent claim by the owner of a Model S electric car that the Autopilot feature caused an accident although the data logs do not substantiate their stories. It follows a Utah Model S owner who argued his parked Tesla sedan crashed into a parked trailer. Meanwhile, in the recent car accident a California woman claims her electric vehicle's (EV) semi-autonomous safety features did not prevent her from crashing into the back of another vehicle.
On April 26 Arianna Simpson was cruising in Autopilot mode north from Los Angeles on Interstate 5. The car in front of her suddenly stopped. Simpson thought the Tesla car would brake because there was a long enough distance between the two vehicles.
The driver claims she slammed on the car's brakes when she noticed the EV was not slowing down, but still rear-ended the other car. Simpson guessed she was driving at 40 miles per hour (64 km/hr).
Meanwhile, Tesla reports that the vehicle's data logs show that the electric car's adaptive cruise control system was not at fault. After Simpson hit the brake pedal she turned off Autopilot and converted the car to manual control.
The California driver also switched off the auto braking system when she slammed on the brakes. That has been a standard feature on Tesla cars since version 6.2 of Autopilot rolled out last year, according to Ars Technica.
In a statement Tesla noted safety is a top priority. It also explained it has educated customers about being alert when using Autopilot and being ready to take control of the EV.
Elon Musk's company also pointed out that Autopilot does not turn its electric cars into fully autonomous vehicles, so drivers must still be responsible.
Simpson states that she has always been a fan of Tesla and self-driving technology. However, she is unhappy about dealing with the automaker after her car crash.
In related news, a story was recently posted to Reddit about a Nevada Tesla owner whose Autopilot feature was knocked offline by a large moth, according to Autoblog. It reportedly happened on Route 93 near Las Vegas.
The Tesla owner reported he pulled up to a gas station after Autopilot switched off. He then discovered a big moth stuck in the front of the car that had covered the forward radar sensor.
Here's Autopilot's Summon function: