Tesla · Elon Musk · New York · Ars Technica
His caption claimed that Tesla’s technology “is both magical and life changing, relaxing and maybe even lifesaving
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For years, Tesla has claimed that automated self-driving features will make roads safer by eliminating human errors that commonly cause crashes.
Key facts
- In January, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison confirmed in a speech that the agency considers 2026 a “big” year for AV rulemaking
- The group also took time to contradict claims from AV makers like Tesla, which often rely on a 2019 NHTSA study finding that 94 percent of car accidents are due to human error to suggest that AVs
- Since then, Tesla CEO Elon Musk spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency efforts that gutted NHTSA of staff with expertise in evaluating AV safety
- Martha Avila, 76, was standing in the front room of the house, where she lived with her daughter, son-in-law, and three young grandkids
Summary
An elderly Texas woman tragically died Friday after a man who told police he was relying on his Tesla Model 3’s automated driver-assistance mode lost control and crashed his car into her family’s home. The Harris County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Ars that Michael Butler said that “he was operating with an automated driving-assistance system engaged at the time of the crash.” Police are currently investigating whether the autopilot feature in any way caused the crash but confirmed that Butler was not intoxicated and is cooperating, partly by helping cops understand how Tesla’s Autopilot feature works. “Butler failed to drive in a single lane, left the roadway, and struck the residence” at a “high rate of speed,” the sheriff’s office said. It remains unclear how fast the car was going, but The New York Times shared a disturbing doorbell camera video of the crash showing the moment when the Tesla plowed through the brick home’s front.