AITO M5 Test Drive Crash Injures Customer During Autonomous Driving Demo
A test drive of an AITO M5 in Xiangyang, China resulted in a crash when the sales personnel demonstrating the vehicle's intelligent driving function removed both hands from the steering wheel. The vehicle collided with a turning bus, injuring the customer and a companion. The system reportedly engaged braking when the vehicles were 7 meters apart, but not quickly enough to prevent the collision.
What happened
On September 19, 2024, a customer and companion test drove an AITO M5 at an AITO authorized user center in Xiangyang, Hubei Province, China. During the demonstration, sales personnel activated the intelligent driving function and removed both hands from the steering wheel.
A bus ahead turned left to make a U-turn. The sales personnel did not perform emergency braking in response. The M5 collided with the bus.
Reported impact
The customer was treated at Xiangyang City Chinese-Western Combined Hospital with diagnoses of muscle strain with qi stagnation and blood stasis (Chinese medicine), and ear injury, inner ear concussion, traumatic tinnitus, and soft tissue damage in multiple body areas (Western medicine). The customer was discharged and recuperating at home as of the report date.
The customer's companion was also injured and received treatment at the same facility.
Index analysis
According to back-end data reviewed by the customer, the vehicle was traveling at approximately 50 kilometers per hour and the system initiated braking when it detected the bus was 7 meters away. The braking action was insufficient to prevent collision.
Governance controls
AITO center staff accompanied the injured customers to the hospital for treatment and, after negotiation, offered to arrange treatment at a higher-level medical facility.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.