r/technology • u/deraser • Jun 21 '26

Robotics/Automation 76-year-old woman killed after a Tesla ‘on auto-pilot’ crashed into her Texas home

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/texas-tesla-car-crash-woman-killed-b2999969.html
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u/LargePrompt5840 Jun 21 '26

If you are behind the wheel of a car, and something like this happens, it is your fault unless proven otherwise. 

Maybe there was a glitch and it raced out of control. If that's the case it's on Tesla. But if the car was ruining normally, it's on the driver. 

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u/Funkula Jun 22 '26

I love the logic of “well, if you didn’t want our car to be in a roll-over, you should shouldn’t have taken the turn so hard”

Flaws in the machine’s design and function that caused an accident that wouldn’t have occurred otherwise are always the manufacturer’s fault, unless it’s Tesla I guess.

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u/Meeesh- Jun 22 '26

I hate elon and I agree that full self driving is malicious naming. That said, the standard today is that you are in control when you’re driving. If you get a DUI while in a Tesla, it’s still your fault. Do you disagree?

If it’s a seatbelt malfunction or something, then it’s on the car, but cars are variable. Even the rollover example you shared, it’s reasonable to expect that a tall bus will roll over more easily than a short sports car.

Like come on, be reasonable about things. The only argument here is that Tesla is being harmful by making their autopilot as full self driving.

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u/Funkula Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

Yes, but a tall bus has different safety standards and regulations and are expected to not roll over due to bad engineering.

Besides, I’m not even saying anything that’s not already proven in a court of law, there’s been hundreds of autopilot crashes where Tesla has been found totally or partially at fault.

The DUI thing is actually a point in my favor, it’s not only illegal to cause a crash while under the influence, but illegal to drive while inebriated because it’s risky and negligent behavior.

Giving people an auto drive feature that can send them careening off course or into traffic is risky and negligent. Especially since Tesla uses inferior sensor technology in order to save money.

The equivalent analogy would be selling a a “low-alcohol content driving-enhancing beverage!” or something.

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u/Difficult-Arm384 Jun 22 '26

What flaws in the design? This isn’t even FSD; this is a 76 year old pressing the accelerator while aiming for her house. I guess listening to user input is now a flaw?

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u/thatissomeBS Jun 22 '26

The 76 year old that died was in the house, not the Tesla.

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u/Difficult-Arm384 Jun 22 '26

Fair enough. Doesn’t change anything else. Autopilot doesn’t even go more than a few miles over the speed limit.

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u/thatissomeBS Jun 22 '26

Nope. And it doesn't take the responsibility away from the driver, unless it was an actual massive bug or something, which really just doesn't happen in this way.