A Tesla Model 3 operating on Autopilot crashed into a Ford Explorer pickup truck that was changing lanes on a California freeway, killing 15-year-old Jovani Maldonado who was thrown from the vehicle.
In August 2019, a Tesla Model 3 equipped with Autopilot crashed into a Ford Explorer pickup truck on a California freeway four miles from Tesla's main factory. The Tesla, driven by Romeo Lagman Yalung, was traveling at approximately 60-70 mph when it struck the Ford driven by Benjamin Maldonado who was changing lanes after signaling. Video and data from the Tesla show that neither Autopilot nor the driver slowed the vehicle until a fraction of a second before impact. The crash resulted in the death of 15-year-old Jovani Maldonado, who was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the Ford. The incident is part of a pattern of Autopilot-related crashes, with at least 10 people killed in eight accidents involving Autopilot since 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has about two dozen active investigations into Autopilot crashes. Tesla's Autopilot system uses software, cameras and sensors to assist drivers but requires them to keep hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. However, the system has been criticized for lacking adequate safeguards to prevent misuse and not effectively monitoring drivers compared to competing systems.
Domain classification, causal taxonomy, severity scores, and national security assessments were LLM-classified and may contain errors.
AI systems that fail to perform reliably or effectively under varying conditions, exposing them to errors and failures that can have significant consequences, especially in critical applications or areas that require moral reasoning.
AI system
Due to a decision or action made by an AI system
Unintentional
Due to an unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
Post-deployment
Occurring after the AI model has been trained and deployed