Attorney Witherite: Tesla's Autopilot Crashes Stir Concerns for Autonomous Trucks in Texas and Georgia

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amy Witherite, a notable Texas attorney and founder of Witherite Law Group, highlights the ongoing issues and fatalities linked to Tesla's autonomous driving feature. This raises significant concerns about the safety of introducing driverless tractor-trailers on the road. In 2024, there are plans to introduce autonomous tractor-trailers on the roads of Texas and Georgia. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently disclosed the findings of a two-year investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot, uncovering hundreds of crashes, including 13 fatal ones. Despite a recall initiated by the company to address the issue, collisions have persisted, prompting the NHTSA to initiate a new probe.

"Those of us who have been involved in vehicle safety issues for many years have long recognized the real dangers fully autonomous tractor-trailers and large trucks pose to motorists on our nation's highways," said Witherite.

"The damage caused by a large, autonomous truck could be significantly more severe than that of a smaller vehicle like a Tesla," said Witherite. "The problems with Tesla illustrate the same types of issues that are likely to occur with an autonomous truck."

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, the regulatory agency responsible for ensuring vehicle safety, has not set clear guidelines for performance and testing of autonomous vehicles. As a result, individual manufacturers are left to create their own testing requirements, leading to an inconsistent level of testing. This approach lacks the stringent oversight and testing standards seen in other areas of transportation such as aviation or railroads.

Unlike autonomous vehicles, crashes involving aviation or railroads can result in swift action by agencies or Congress to ground planes or mandate new safety systems. A survey by the American Automobile Association recently showed that 91% of those surveyed were either fearful or uncertain about the safety of autonomous vehicles. "The ongoing issues and fatalities related to Tesla's Autopilot system serve as a wake-up call for the potential dangers of driverless technology," says Witherite.

"The lack of established performance measures and testing standards for automated vehicles raises concerns about the safety of driverless tractor-trailers on the road," said Witherite. "It is crucial that the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration takes immediate action to establish clear guidelines for performance and testing to prevent further accidents and protect the public."