A Florida Tesla driver killed when he collided with a semi truck in March had turned on the car’s highly-touted autopilot feature just seconds before the crash, CNN Business reports. The National Transportation Safety Board revealed new details Thursday in a report about the crash in Delray Beach, noting that the driver’s hands were not detected on the steering wheel about eight seconds before the incident. He had reportedly turned on autopilot in the Model 3 just 10 seconds before the deadly crash. The NTSB did not say whether the Tesla driver was at fault. The crash brought about renewed scrutiny regarding how the company has marketed its semi-autonomous driving software, which critics have said may have created a false sense of security among drivers in recent crashes. Another Tesla driver was killed in a May 2016 crash when autopilot was turned on. Tesla, however, has continued to defend the feature. “Tesla drivers have logged more than one billion miles with Autopilot engaged, and our data shows that, when used properly by an attentive driver who is prepared to take control at all times, drivers supported by Autopilot are safer than those operating without assistance,” the company said in a statement Thursday.
