Hopefully NTSB will figure that out. According to the truck driver, when they got to the car, the video player was showing a Harry Potter movie, which the driver was apparently watching at the time – so not sure he had a lot of input on speed.
The good news is that the passenger can play Pokémon Go without running over someone. Yes, accidents have been reported already, one by a drunk playing the game. What a combination.
Here is a quote from a driver who experienced the Tesla system in January, 2015:
“I do not think i am able to turn on TACC (Traffic Aware Cruise Control) to the speed limit setting. It always just goes to the speed I am traveling. In theory you should be able to drive at 40 and the car sees a speed limit of 55, it your threshold is +9mph then the tick mark is at 64 and pulling for 1/2 sec should turn TACC to 64mph, but i seem to always get it setting at my current 40mph speed. Maybe operator error, if anyone has this work properly please report back method used.”
If this was operator error or if a bug was fixed by Tesla, this implies that the driver might be able to set TACC to a speed greater than the speed limit. The system does have the ability to detect speed limit signs but according to this driver, you are permitted to set a tolerance which may be as high as +9 mph, so the vehicle will actually exceed the speed limit. If this is correct, there is a potential legal problem with that software feature. If this is the cause, it is a software design error – which is a human error, that was exploited by the deceased Tesla driver who was the proximate cause since he set the TACC voluntarily to an improper speed. (Assuming that the 9 mph speed difference was itself a proximate cause of the accident)
Wondering what caused the car to go over the speed limit? Was it the driver or the computer?
And some want driverless cars. If the car wants to speed, so be it. Look out everyone else, here comes a speeding Tesla which won’t brake to miss you.
Hopefully NTSB will figure that out. According to the truck driver, when they got to the car, the video player was showing a Harry Potter movie, which the driver was apparently watching at the time – so not sure he had a lot of input on speed.
The good news is that the passenger can play Pokémon Go without running over someone. Yes, accidents have been reported already, one by a drunk playing the game. What a combination.
It is a good thing the default color for semi-trailers isn’t white…(sarcastic font needed)
Here is a quote from a driver who experienced the Tesla system in January, 2015:
“I do not think i am able to turn on TACC (Traffic Aware Cruise Control) to the speed limit setting. It always just goes to the speed I am traveling. In theory you should be able to drive at 40 and the car sees a speed limit of 55, it your threshold is +9mph then the tick mark is at 64 and pulling for 1/2 sec should turn TACC to 64mph, but i seem to always get it setting at my current 40mph speed. Maybe operator error, if anyone has this work properly please report back method used.”
If this was operator error or if a bug was fixed by Tesla, this implies that the driver might be able to set TACC to a speed greater than the speed limit. The system does have the ability to detect speed limit signs but according to this driver, you are permitted to set a tolerance which may be as high as +9 mph, so the vehicle will actually exceed the speed limit. If this is correct, there is a potential legal problem with that software feature. If this is the cause, it is a software design error – which is a human error, that was exploited by the deceased Tesla driver who was the proximate cause since he set the TACC voluntarily to an improper speed. (Assuming that the 9 mph speed difference was itself a proximate cause of the accident)