Tesla crash could stall public acceptance of driverless cars

A Tesla Model S electric vehicle is shown in San Francisco, California. DETROIT -- It was the crash the auto industry knew was coming but still feared. The death of a driver who was using Tesla Motors' semi-autonomous mode could add to the public's apprehension of driverless cars even before they reach the road in big numbers. Most major automakers and technology companies, including Google and Uber, are working on fully autonomous cars, and have worried that a highly publicized crash could hurt those efforts. Brown was an enthusiastic booster of his 2015 Tesla Model S and in an April video he posted online he credited its sophisticated Autopilot system for avoiding a crash when a commercial truck swerved into his lane on an interstate. Owner video of Autopilot steering to avoid collision with a truckhttps://t.co/FZUAXSjlR7