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Driver killed in Silicon Valley Tesla crash was playing video game
ktla ^ | 02/25/2020

Posted on 02/25/2020 3:27:03 PM PST by BenLurkin

The National Transportation Safety Board says the driver of a Tesla SUV who died in a Silicon Valley crash two years ago was playing a video game on his smartphone at the time.

Chairman Robert Sumwalt said at the start of a hearing Tuesday that partially automated driving systems like Tesla’s Autopilot cannot drive themselves. Yet he says drivers continue to use them without paying attention. He says the board made recommendations to six automakers in 2017 to stop the problem and only Tesla has failed to respond.

The board will determine a cause of the crash at the hearing and make recommendations to prevent it from happening again.

Sumwalt says government regulators have ignored the board’s previous recommendations for measures to prevent these crashes.

The March 2018 crash involving a Tesla Model X SUV killed Apple engineer Walter Huang when it swerved and slammed into a concrete barrier dividing freeway and exit lanes.

Just before the crash, the Tesla steered to the left into a paved area between the freeway travel lanes and an exit ramp, the NTSB said. It crashed into the end of the concrete barrier. The car’s forward collision didn’t alert Huang, and its automatic emergency braking did not activate, the NTSB said.

Also, Huang did not brake, and there was no steering movement detected to avoid the crash, the board’s staff said.

NTSB investigators previously found that Tesla’s system became confused at a freeway exit and was a factor in the crash.

(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: crash; tesla; videogame
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To: BenLurkin

Pole Position?


21 posted on 02/25/2020 3:50:04 PM PST by irishjuggler
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To: BenLurkin

I’ll admit to being ignorant of how these cars are supposed to work. Under what circumstances does the car drive itself, and when does the driver need to be ready to take over? It seems that if the car is just rolling along by itself without any problems, it would be natural for the driver’s attention eventually to lapse, or for the driver to seek diversions or to fall asleep. When the driver needs to take over, he isn’t engaged enough to react in time.

I like driving and prefer to do it myself.


22 posted on 02/25/2020 3:52:35 PM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican (The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.)
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To: devane617

No self respecting person calls it “Cali ‘


23 posted on 02/25/2020 3:54:24 PM PST by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: lee martell

“It took 2 years to figure that out?”

No.


24 posted on 02/25/2020 3:56:03 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: BenLurkin

If it was “Escape from Tarkov” I understand.


25 posted on 02/25/2020 4:00:04 PM PST by DCBryan1 (Quit calling them liberals, progs, socialists, or democrats. Call them what they are: COMMUNISTS!!!!)
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

None of the current cars are level 4/5 autonomous driving yet, they’re level 2or3 and people are treating them like they’re 4or5 and crashing. Level 2/3 requires the drivers attention and readiness to react.


26 posted on 02/25/2020 4:05:44 PM PST by crosdaddy
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To: BenLurkin

Stupidity has it’s rewards.


27 posted on 02/25/2020 4:07:15 PM PST by Trumpnado2016 (Welcome to Trump World.)
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To: nascarnation
Looked to my left and saw a guy in the next lane playing on a phone propped on the steering wheel. Scary. I wish I could have rapped on his hood with a 2 by 4 to snap him to attention.

Just honk your horn long and hard and watch the fun begin.

28 posted on 02/25/2020 4:09:09 PM PST by VeniVidiVici
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To: BenLurkin

29 posted on 02/25/2020 4:12:57 PM PST by Eddie01 (The End)
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To: al baby
"No self respecting person calls it “Cali ‘

I wonder why?

30 posted on 02/25/2020 4:14:27 PM PST by devane617 (Kyrie Eleison, where I'm going, will you follow?)
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To: crosdaddy

Got it.


31 posted on 02/25/2020 4:16:23 PM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican (The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.)
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To: BenLurkin

Why is Tesla or any other auto maker allowed to call driver assist “auto pilot”? It is in no way an auto pilot.

I for one am not going to be a beta tester when my life is at risk.

Geez, people are soooo stupid.


32 posted on 02/25/2020 4:17:05 PM PST by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s........you weren't really there)
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To: Southside_Chicago_Republican

“and when does the driver need to be ready to take over? “

Driver is required to maintain control at all times.


33 posted on 02/25/2020 4:19:51 PM PST by TexasGator (Z1z)
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To: al baby

I was born and raised in Cali, as was my mom in the ‘30’s, and I’ve always called it Cali.

Ed


34 posted on 02/25/2020 4:27:10 PM PST by Sir_Ed
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To: BenLurkin
Since it was two years ago, could he still qualify for a Darwin Award?

I'll be interested to hear about how AI control handles a snowy day... Note that they do all their testing where it NEVER snows...

35 posted on 02/25/2020 4:33:06 PM PST by jonascord (First rule of the Dunning-Kruger Club is that you do not know you are in the Dunning-Kruger club.)
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To: BenLurkin

Only the federal government is competent to drive your car.


36 posted on 02/25/2020 4:38:32 PM PST by coaster123 (XLV-MMXX)
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To: DannyTN

“He says the board made recommendations to six automakers in 2017 to stop the problem and only Tesla has failed to respond.”

What recommendations did they make and How did the others respond?

...

Good question. I also wonder if Tesla took some other action that they thought was better.

There are a lot more Teslas on the road now, but I don’t see more stories like this one. If anything, I see less.


37 posted on 02/25/2020 4:41:47 PM PST by Moonman62 (Charity comes from wealth.)
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To: 867V309

So true!

And to think the Fed Govt. makes the pharma companies test for years before releasing a drug, but allowing a car company to put 2000LBs of steel, Flying down the road controlled by sketchy software is just fine.


38 posted on 02/25/2020 4:41:57 PM PST by DanielRedfoot (Lying Dog Faced Pony Soldier)
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To: ChildOfThe60s

“It is in no way an auto pilot.”

They said on the news that the drivers of these cars are supposed to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times and if they remove their hands the car will warn and stop or something like that.


39 posted on 02/25/2020 4:56:51 PM PST by cymbeline
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To: TexasGator

Sounds like that hasn’t been made clear to some drivers. If they had a video of this car swerving and crashing into the concrete barrier when the driver failed to be in control, they could show it to people who just bought themselves a “driverless” car.


40 posted on 02/25/2020 4:58:28 PM PST by Southside_Chicago_Republican (The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.)
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