In a concerning incident, a Tesla in one of its self-driving modes crashed into a police cruiser that was parked at the scene of another collision in Fullerton, California. The incident occurred just minutes after midnight on Thursday, as the officer was directing traffic while waiting for clean-up crews to arrive.

According to the Fullerton Police Department, emergency flares were deployed on the road to alert drivers. However, a blue Tesla suddenly veered towards the officer's patrol vehicle, despite the flashing emergency lights. The officer managed to evade the collision, but the out-of-control electric vehicle collided with the parked cruiser in a near-fatal accident.

The driver of the Tesla allegedly confessed to using their phone while the vehicle was in self-driving mode, although it wasn't specified whether it was Autopilot or Full Self-Driving mode. Authorities are waiting to review Tesla's automatic crash report to corroborate the driver's statement.

This isn't the first time that Tesla's self-driving cars have been involved in accidents, including collisions with emergency vehicles. Consequently, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) initiated an investigation into Tesla in 2021. The probe concluded with Tesla being compelled to issue software updates to two million vehicles. However, the NHTSA is now deliberating whether these updates were sufficient.

Beyond incidents involving emergency vehicles, Tesla has faced criticism for reports of its cars posing risks to occupants and other drivers on the road. In a recent incident, a driver claimed that their Tesla in Full Self-Driving mode failed to stop at a railroad crossing, narrowly avoiding a collision with a moving train.

These incidents have reignited debates over the safety and naming of Tesla's driving modes. Despite being marketed as "Autopilot" and "Full-Self-Driving," these systems are merely driver-assistance features. Federal agencies, including the NHTSA, and state regulators have expressed concerns about the potentially misleading nature of these names.

Critics argue that the ambiguity of the names may lead drivers to believe their Teslas are more autonomous than they actually are, potentially encouraging complacency and negligence behind the wheel. Based on the details of this particular incident, it appears the driver may have fallen into this trap.

As the investigation moves forward, both Tesla and regulators will need to address concerns surrounding the safety of self-driving technology and the clarity of their naming conventions. The hope is to strike a balance between innovation and ensuring public safety on the roads.