Image copyright Reuters US authorities are investigating the first death potentially caused by self-driving technology. The driver of a Tesla car died in Florida in May after colliding with a lorry. Under scrutiny is Tesla's Autopilot feature, which automatically changes lanes and reacts to traffic. In a statement, Tesla said it appeared the Model S car was unable to recognise 'the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky' that had driven across the car's path. The company said the crash was a 'tragic loss'. The collision led to the death of Tesla driver Joshua Brown, 40.

“Battlefield V is a homecoming for DICE as a studio—a return to the era that came to define the Battlefield franchise. But as nostalgic as we are about World War 2, we wanted to challenge the. The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will look at whether the Autopilot function performed as expected, or was at fault. Such investigations can sometimes lead to a recall.

The driver of the truck, which was pulling a trailer, was unhurt. A, which appears to have been posted by Mr Brown, shows a dashboard camera recording of a previous incident, with the car steering to avoid a lorry in the next lane. He wrote: 'Tesla Model S autopilot saved the car autonomously from a side collision from a boom lift truck. 'Hands down the best car I have ever owned and use it to its full extent.

It has done many, many amazing things, but this was one of the more interesting things caught on the dashcam.' Image copyright Reuters Image caption The Model S autopilot Beta test The Autopilot function was introduced by Tesla in October last year.

In a conference call, the firm's enigmatic chief executive Elon Musk urged caution in using the technology. 'The driver cannot abdicate responsibility,' he said.

In Thursday's statement, Tesla said: 'It is important to note that Tesla disables Autopilot by default and requires explicit acknowledgement that the system is new technology and still in a public beta phase before it can be enabled. 'The system also makes frequent checks to ensure that the driver's hands remain on the wheel and provides visual and audible alerts if hands-on is not detected. 'It then gradually slows down the car until hands-on is detected again.'

In its statement, the NHTSA stressed: 'The opening of the Preliminary Evaluation should not be construed as a finding that the Office of Defects Investigation believes there is either a presence or absence of a defect in the subject vehicles.'