Tesla Inc TSLA is well known for the safety of its vehicles. This is brought together by multiple aspects including crash avoidance from Autopilot driver assist features, but also great crash test results, in case an accident does occur.
Unfortunately some people are irresponsible with their vehicle, no matter what the make, and decide to get behind the wheel after drinking too much alcohol. This was the suspected situation in Glendale, California, as shared by police and on video by ABC 7 local news.
After a Tesla hit a guard wall on the freeway and kept driving with an unconscious driver, police followed the vehicle. Eventually, a police car got in front of the Tesla and slowed to a stop, which caused the Autopilot system to stop behind the car as if it was in a normal traffic stop scenario.
Police arrested the driver under suspicion of DUI.
Benzinga's Take: According to the NHTSA, about 28 people in the US die in drunk driving accidents every single day. In a normal vehicle with an unconscious driver, the car would end up crashing into other vehicles, the surroundings, or driving off the road completely. While what this person did is still illegal and extremely dangerous, Tesla's Autopilot may have very well saved her life as it was able to perform basic driving maneuvers on the highway, until it was stopped by police.
Photo courtesy of Tesla
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
