It’s official.

The first fatality featuring self-driving technology took place in May. The driver of a Tesla S sports car was operating in “autopilot” when his car collided with a truck in Florida, U.S.

Now, the government is looking into the design and performance of the general Tesla system even though, out of 130 millions miles of auto-piloting, it’s the first known death.

Here’s PBS‘ report on the incident:

Preliminary reports indicate the crash occurred when a tractor-trailer rig made a left turn in front of the Tesla at an intersection of a divided highway where there was no traffic light, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. The Tesla driver died due to injuries sustained in the crash, which took place May 7 in Williston, Florida, the agency said. The city is southwest of Gainesville.

Tesla said on its website that neither the driver nor the Autopilot noticed the white side of the trailer, which was perpendicular to the Model S, against the brightly lit sky, and neither applied the brakes.

“The high ride height of the trailer combined with its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer,” the company said. The windshield of the Model S collided with the bottom of the trailer.

It is quite unfortunate to hear a situation such as this, as well as its repercussions, when Tesla has insisted from the outset that the system is only an assistant feature, rather than a fully-automated driving feature.

It is there to reduce the workload and assist you in driving more safely rather than drive for you.

Tesla’s Elon Musk sent his condolences via Twitter:

Now remember, kids, keep your hands on the wheel at all times.

[source: pbs]