According to foreign media reports, Tesla Autopilot software director Ashok Elluswamy said Tesla Autopilot can prevent about 40 accidents caused by sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) every day.
In about 40 of those crashes, he said, human drivers mistakenly hit the gas pedal instead of the brake. But Autopilot realizes they are doing so and that a collision is imminent, and automatically stops accelerating and applies the brakes to prevent a human collision.
Autopilot is a technology unique to Tesla that fundamentally functions in the same way as rival systems such as GM’s Super Cruise or Ford’s BlueCruise.
The Autopilot system has been considered the culprit in past crashes involving Tesla vehicles. In June, foreign media reported that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had stepped up its investigation into whether Autopilot was defective and revealed that they had reviewed 191 accidents involving vehicles using Autopilot.
In reality, the system is only partially automated, such as keeping the car in its lane and at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of it. The system is only designed to assist the driver, who must be ready to intervene.
