A Florida man is dead after the first known fatal autonomous vehicle accident. The crash happened on May 7 when a man driving the Tesla Model S with Autopilot collided with a tractor-trailer as it made a left turn, crossing into his lane. Neither the driver or the Autopilot system could react in time to avoid the accident. Of course, this accident raises serious questions. Many are questioning if autonomous vehicles are less safe than human drivers. Tesla reports that fatalities occurred after 130 million miles of Autopilot driving compared to human drivers with fatalities in every 100 million miles. While statistics imply Tesla’s systems are safer, many are concerned that the Autopilot miles are simply too few to make a meaningful comparison. However, experts say this should not halt the making of autopilot vehicles. Almost 100 people die in car accidents every day in America. The hope is the autonomous systems could reduce or eliminate these accidents.
Autopilot automobiles are the future, and many hope they will reduce or eliminate the number of tragic traffic fatalities. Until that day comes, auto accidents still occur in great number on Missouri roadways. The auto accident attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC, are dedicated to protecting the rights of accident victims by seeking just and fair compensation. With over a 100 years of united legal experience, attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth, LLC, are St. Louis’ best personal injury attorneys at law. If you need legal representation after an auto accident, don’t hesitate to contact our auto accident attorneys for a free case evaluation today.