Whenever there is news of a Tesla car crash, the name of Autopilot has always popped up. In March, a Model X got into a serious accident when it rammed into the back of a semi-truck, and the driver blamed Autopilot for the collision. Now there is news of another Model X crash, and again Autopilot has popped up. But this time it is not being blamed for the crash.
Juteau: it was my fault, not Autopilot’s
A rare Founders Series Model X sustained some serious damage when the driver thought it was on Autopilot and momentarily took his eyes off the road, notes Teslarati. The accident took place in Québec, Canada.
According to the driver Sylvain Juteau, he mistakenly took his eyes off the road for a moment while trying to change songs on the center touchscreen. When he looked back up, it was already late; the SUV was already half off the road and heading towards a stone retaining wall before crashing into it.
Juteau shared his experience on RoulezElectrique, where he serves as editor-in-chief. Despite the accident, which fortunately did not cause any serious injuries, Juteau showed a very “respectful humility” on his blog, noted Teslarati. Noting that it was his own fault, he said that one should always keep their eyes on the road while driving.
“The fault belongs to me only because the autopilot does not replace the driver and I paid the price for having left the road of the eyes, even if it was only a short time,” he said. Juteau also explained that his car was traveling 55 km/hr before impact, and he was alone inside the vehicle.
Structural quality of the Model X applauded
Juteau noted that despite the force of the impact, no glass was cracked or broken, which proves that the structural quality of the Model X is pretty good. Further, he said that the firefighters were prepared to douse a fire when they approached the scene, even though there were no signs of a fire.
“I informed them that it was an electric car and that it did not catch fire as easily as a gasoline car. Guys do not seem to have much information about EVs.”
Juteau walked away from the serious crash almost unscathed with just some “stiffness in the upper back (near the shoulder blade).” But nothing certain can be said for his Model X currently. The electric car could be declared a total loss or may be repairable, notes Teslarati. Juteau said that the Model X was towed to Bugatti in Montreal – a Tesla-certified body shop. He is currently waiting for the evaluation from his insurance company.
If you remember, Juteau is the same person who won the opportunity to purchase the gorgeous signature red Model X through Tesla’s referral program in 2015. He referred over 34 Model S buyers and waited for almost a year to get his hands on the car.
