NEW YORK (AP) — Tesla says the vehicle in a fatal California crash was operating on Autopilot, the latest accident to involve self-driving technology.
The automaker says the driver, who was killed in the accident, did not have his hands on the steering wheel for six seconds before the crash. Tesla says its Autopilot feature, which can keep speed, change lanes and self-park, requires drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel to take control of the vehicle to avoid accidents.
Earlier this month, a self-driving Volvo SUV being tested by ride-hailing service Uber struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona.
Tesla Inc., in a blog post, defended its Autopilot feature, saying that while it doesn't prevent all accidents, it makes them less likely to occur.
