Tesla S has an autopilot option (Picture: Getty)

The first death from a self-driving car has been reported, involving a Tesla S.

Its driver had activated autopilot, intended to assist driving rather than take over completely.

But neither the victim nor the technology spotted the trailer coming towards them as it was camouflaged against the sky, Tesla said.

In a statement, the electric car company said: ‘This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated. Among all vehicles in the US, there is a fatality every 94 million miles.


‘Worldwide, there is a fatality approximately every 60 million miles.’

A tragic loss https://t.co/qrRa3PZrBx — Tesla Motors (@TeslaMotors) June 30, 2016

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‘Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied.’

The car passed under the trailer and was then struck in the windscreen.

Tesla’s self-driving car prevents near-certain head-on collision’Had the Model S impacted the front or rear of the trailer, even at high speed, its advanced crash safety system would likely have prevented serious injury as it has in numerous other similar incidents,’ Tesla said.

‘The customer who died in this crash had a loving family and we are beyond saddened by their loss.

‘He was a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla’s mission.’