They accuse Tesla for false advertising about its Autopilot system.
Occupational Hazard
Five Texas police officers filed a lawsuit against Tesla Monday for a crash that was apparently caused by Tesla's semiautonomous Autopilot mode.
In February, police pulled over another vehicle after the Model X crashed into them at 70 mph. The officers were then injured and the cars were pushed into officers. Insider now reports that Tesla has been accused by the police of false advertising regarding safety claims about Autopilots. This accusation is echoed by an increasing number of government officials and experts.
Rains, Pours
This lawsuit comes as Tesla and Elon Musk face increased scrutiny regarding their assisted driving technology. Autopilot's tendency to collide with emergency vehicles was the subject of an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The agency cited 12 incidents that occurred since 2018.
As you may have seen, Tesla and Elon Musk boast that Teslas on Autopilot are safer that your daily driver. That Teslas on Autopilot cause fewer accidents than other vehicles, Tony Buzbee, an advocate for the police, stated to KPRC 2. We discovered that this information was misleading.
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Patch Notes
Insider reports that the details of the injuries sustained by the cops are not included in the lawsuit. However, they seek between $1 million and $20 millions. The suit also demands that Tesla correct any flaws that may have led to accidents with emergency vehicles.
This could be a good sign for Tesla. The Model 3 and Model Y vehicles that use Autopilot to detect emergency lights at night have a recently released owners manual. However, it is not clear if this will actually work in practice.
READ MORE: Texas police are suing Tesla for allegedly driving through five officers during a traffic stop.
Tesla is Amazing! Tesla Autopilot Update: Avoid Emergency Vehicle Crashing
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