Tesla Wins Civil Trial Over Autopilot
Jury finds driver-assistance system not to blame for fatal LA-area crash.
Tesla has been facing increasing scrutiny over its semiautonomous technology.
IMAGE: Pexels/Roberto Nickson
Tesla prevailed in the first U.S. trial over whether its Autopilot driver-assistance technology led to a traffic death.
A Riverside County Superior Court jury decided the feature wasn’t defective in a 2019 crash near Los Angeles that killed a man and severely injured two passengers when a Tesla Model 3 left the highway and crashed into a palm tree, according to news reports.
The plaintiffs said the Autopilot system wasn’t operating correctly and took the vehicle off the road, not allowing the driver to take back control, the reports said. Tesla argued it’s uncertain that the system was engaged at the time of the crash and blamed the accident on driver error. It said the driver had drunk alcohol before starting out in the Tesla.
The jury reached its verdict on a vote of nine to three after deliberating for four days.
Tesla has been facing increasing scrutiny over its semiautonomous technology. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulatory agency is investigating about three dozen accidents involving Teslas believed to be operating on driver-assistance systems at the time.
Originally posted on Auto Dealer Today
More Industry
Missed Maintenance Creates Opportunity
As families get back on the road and into daily school routines, service drives have an opportunity to capture customers who are behind on recommended vehicle maintenance.
Read More →
Mitsubishi Unveils U.S. Plan
The automaker announced a strategy that includes an expanded lineup and dealership presence, along with more ‘rugged’ and electric models.
Read More →
Selling to Grow
The question of whether you should sell your agency and if so, when, is up to you. But it’s a question worth asking to ensure you keep the business on the right path for yourself, employees and clients.
Read More →
Recalled Vehicles Hit 5-Year High
Though the number of events has fallen so far this year, impacted units are up significantly. Meanwhile, regulators consider consumer notification changes.
Read More →
Auto Group Acquires Top-Performing Rooftop
Car Pros sold its Kia Huntington Beach location to Sutherlin Automotive Group, marking the buyer’s third location in Southern California.
Read More →
China as Pacesetter
Automotive leaders huddled on where North America stands in the global picture and how it can strengthen its position against the Asian juggernaut’s surging industry.
Read More →
BMW Concept Car Makes Fuel to Burn
The prototype developed in concert with a South Carolina university engineering team generates more solar energy than it uses in a typical daily commute.
Read More →
South Carolina Auto Group Downsizes
Florida-based group Holler-Classic has acquired four rooftops, its first in South Carolina, from Dick Smith Automotive Group.
Read More →
July Was Hot for Auto Borrowers
Credit proved readily available for many, but most loans left buyers in negative territory, Cox Automotive said.
Read More →
Structure Leads to Optimized Auto Listings
As the average car-buying journey has shifted to a blend of digital and retail, a dealership’s vehicle listings must be optimized to answer shoppers’ questions clearly and accurately.
Read More →