Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" System Under Scrutiny After Fatal Crash

A Tesla Model S operating on the company's "Full Self-Driving" system was involved in a fatal crash near Seattle in April, raising concerns about the safety of the technology. The driver, who was using Autopilot and looking at his cellphone at the time of the crash, has been arrested for investigation of vehicular homicide.

The victim, 28-year-old Jeffrey Nissen, was killed instantly when the Tesla collided with his motorcycle. This marks at least the second fatality in the U.S. involving Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" system. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating the system, which has been involved in 75 crashes.

While Tesla claims that neither "Full Self-Driving" nor Autopilot can drive themselves and that human drivers must be ready to take control at any time, experts remain skeptical. They argue that the safety record cited by Tesla is based on having a human driver supervise the system and that there is no data to support claims of its safety without human supervision.

The incident has reignited the debate about the safety of self-driving cars. While proponents argue that the technology has the potential to save lives by reducing human error, critics point to the risks involved and the lack of clear regulations.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk remains optimistic about the future of self-driving cars, predicting that "Full Self-Driving" will be able to operate without human supervision by the end of the year. However, experts believe that it will be at least another decade before robotaxis can operate without human drivers on most roads.