If the Tesla had a proximity sensor that slammed on the breaks in the last 2-3 meters, would he have survived? I ask because it's a common luxury car feature and would be easy for Tesla to implement. IIRC this crash and the semitruck crash had no evidence of the autopilot hitting the breaks according to the NTSB.
Even if his velocity was only reduced by a fraction, the amount of power involved in the collision would have been reduced by whatever that fraction was.
Edit: So it turns out the Model X does have automatic emergency breaking, but the preliminary report says that the Tesla actually increased its speed in the 3 seconds leading up to the crash. Sounds like a major software bug to me.
Even if his velocity was only reduced by a fraction, the amount of power involved in the collision would have been reduced by whatever that fraction was.
Edit: So it turns out the Model X does have automatic emergency breaking, but the preliminary report says that the Tesla actually increased its speed in the 3 seconds leading up to the crash. Sounds like a major software bug to me.
Here's a review of the Model S AES compared to other cars, in particular the Tesla AES trigger can't handle when a lead car moves out of way, which is what the NTSB report says happened: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a24511826/safety-featu...
Here's the NTSB preliminary report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/...