When Mr Ghazzoul bought a Tesla two years ago, he admitted it wasn’t just the car’s styling that motivated him, but also his love of technology.
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“For me, the selling point is the fact that you get software updates and the car always has new features,” he explains.
This text is a translation of a CTV News article.
One of the latest downloadable features is Smart Summon, which allows the car to come to the driver using your phone’s GPS as the destination.
Mr. Ghazzoul decided to try it on April 10, while he was in the parking lot of the Fairview Pointe-Claire shopping center.
He used the feature to call his parked car to come pick him up.
“I was in range when I activated it,” he explains. “I first saw the car moving, then it took a sharp right turn instead of leaving the square first. He tried to deactivate the function, but the car didn’t stop in time and he ended up hitting the car parked next to it.
Damage to both cars was estimated at several thousand dollars. Mr. Ghazzoul contacted Tesla about the accident.
He said that since it was their device that malfunctioned, they should take responsibility for it, but they told him to contact his insurance company instead and that it wasn’t their problem since it was him who had activated the device.
His insurance company, meanwhile, said he was entirely responsible for the accident.
The worst part for Mr. Ghazzoul is that he has since discovered that it was not even legal for him to use this driverless function in public spaces in Quebec.
“The rules were written before the technology existed,” according to George Iny, director of the Motorist Protection Association.
According to him, it is up to drivers to know the rules of the road, including the fact that parking lots are considered public spaces and therefore this technology should not be activated.
However, he added that it is also up to manufacturers to communicate this information to their customers.
“There is also the question of the ethics and morals of a company that sells you a function that is of no use to you, where the car is going to be registered, and that doesn’t bother to tell you not to not use it,” Mr. Iny said.
He added that manufacturers could also not activate these functions in markets where they are not authorized.
Tesla did not respond to CTV News’ request for an interview.
Mr. Ghazzoul is relieved that no one was injured, but he now has to pay for the damage himself so his insurance premiums don’t go up. He says he is disappointed with Tesla.
“There is no information on how to use it and how not to use it,” he lamented.
He wants to warn other Tesla drivers not to make the same mistake as him and to check first before testing the new features.
