Tesla Model S is now investigated by NHTSA.
We know that many car makers are competing today to create the perfect software that can drive the car by itself without the involvement of the driver.
Of course that the software is not perfect yet, and the fact that Tesla already uses the software on some of its cars brings something new and exciting on the market, but also something that could become extremely dangerous.
A fatal crash took place recently on the highway and involved a Tesla vehicle and a white trailer that was crossing a divided highway perpendicularly in the direction of the Tesla vehicle, because the autopilot software was not able to see the trailer due to its bright color and due to the bright sky behind it.
Tesla says that the software was not able to see the trailer due to its white color and due to the white background behind the trailer, and this is something similar to the snow issue, which the autopilot software is not able to distinguish very well.
So, I ask myself again, what is the reason to get an autonomous vehicle today when we actually need to replace the old technology that pollutes the environment with the green one.
The first goal is to stop the pollution produced by cars by replacing them with electric vehicles, and not to get an autonomous vehicle that can kill in an instant just because the vehicle that crossed your way was white.
NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) opened an investigation on the Tesla Model S vehicles after the crash.
We know that Tesla already did and will continue to do software updates pretty often on its vehicles, but because the driverless car technology is very young today, it will produce more fatalities before becoming truly safe.
An autonomous vehicle is not useful for anyone today, there are many drivers who want to drive their own cars without the help of any software like this one, because is somehow nicer and safer to rely on your own driving knowledge and experience, instead of relying on a computer program that could have its own limitations.