The latest technology often allows carmakers to equip their vehicles with all sorts of active and passive safety amenities
In a completely tragic turn of events, one person was killed in an accident after his Tata Harrier EV allegedly malfunctioned while being in “Summon Mode”. Note that this mode allows car owners to autonomously move the vehicle out of a tight parking spot at low speeds. We know that Tata Motors equips its vehicles with all the latest bells and whistles. In fact, such autonomous features are becoming more and more common in new cars courtesy of ADAS. However, human vigilance is always needed.
Tata Harrier EV Accident
The video clip has been going viral on the internet for a while now. As per the information in the video, we witness the CCTV footage from Avinashi, Tamil Nadu. It shows a Tata Harrier EV parked outside a building. Suddenly, the car starts moving backwards. In an attempt to stop it, the owner tries to apply the brakes. Unfortunately, he fell out of the SUV and reportedly sustained a head injury. The online post mentions that he was declared brain dead as he was taken to the hospital.
Now, this has, obviously, been a matter of huge debate online. The reports allege that the “Summon Mode” of the car malfunctioned. Interestingly, it is also alleged that the owner had reported an issue with the software prior to this accident. At the time, the SUV had shut down and refused to start. The technical staff had to fix the problem.
Tata Motors’ Response
Tata Motors took the vehicle in for investigation to figure out the exact reason for this occurrence. The carmaker has issued an official statement on this unfortunate incident: “We were informed of the tragic accident and are deeply saddened by the loss. Our thoughts, prayers, and heartfelt support are with the deceased’s family. We are currently gathering all relevant facts. Preliminary observations from video shared online/ on social media suggests that the vehicle may have rolled back from the top of a slope due to gravity and ricocheted after striking an unknown object, suggesting that the motor was not engaged. The vehicle remains with the family and has been driven since the incident, and we have not yet had the opportunity to inspect it.”
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My View
I believe it is not prudent to jump to any conclusions based on a video. Therefore, we must wait for the investigation to end. Also, going simply by social media posts is never a great idea to know the entire truth. Understandably, the netizens are furious about all this and are questioning the efficiency of autonomous driving capabilities. Nevertheless, we must keep our calm and wait for the final report to know all the details clearly.
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