Tesla Sued by Family of Motorcyclist Killed in Autopilot Crash
A family of a motorcyclist is blaming the controversial Autopilot system for his death
Tesla is being sued by the family of a motorcyclist who was killed in a collision with a Model 3 car whilst driving on Autopilot mode. In recent years Tesla has been sued multiple times by people or the family of people involved in major accidents, and Landon Embry’s family is the latest to file a lawsuit.
A Tesla 3 model and its driver collided with the motorcyclist while driving on Autopilot in 2022. Now, the family of Landon Embry are suing the company after making claims that the driver assistant software and other safety features were not fully functioning.
The Tesla 3 model was driving at 75-80mph when it collided with the rear of Landon Embry’s Harley Davidson.
Embry, 34, died at the scene of the accident after being launched from the bike, according to the lawsuit filed in state court in Salt Lake City last week.
Tesla has already settled a similar lawsuit after the family of a Model X owner was killed when his car crashed into a median, whilst on Autopilot.
The driver at the wheel of the Model 3 car that crashed into Landon Embry was deemed to be “tired and not in a condition to drive as an ordinarily prudent driver”, in the lawsuit. The family’s complaint said: “A reasonably prudent driver, or adequate auto braking system, would have, and could have slowed or stopped without colliding with the motorcycle.”
In terms of the autopilot system and what it’s designed to do, Tesla’s website says: “Autopilot is an advanced driver assistance system that enhances safety and convenience behind the wheel. When used properly, Autopilot reduces your overall workload as a driver. Each new Tesla vehicle is equipped with eight external cameras and powerful vision processing to provide an additional layer of safety.
“Model 3 and Model Y built for the European and Middle Eastern markets will now utilise our camera-based Tesla Vision, which are not equipped with radar and instead rely on Tesla’s advanced suite of cameras and neural net processing to deliver Autopilot and related features.”
It’s clear that the intention has not always had the desired results as the workload being reduced has instead resulted in lapses of concentration, or faults with the system, leading to incidents.
Tesla has come under heavy criticism for their Autopilot system, with the NHTSA investigating a series of crashes that occurred. "There is a real concern that's not limited to the technology itself but the interaction between the technology and the driver," said US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The statement was made after a series of investigations which began in August 2021. In fact, dating all the way back to 2016 the NHTSA has opened 40 crash cases where Autopilot systems were suspected of being used, and half of those crashes led to people losing their lives
