oshua Brown, a Navy veteran who loved technology and started his own consulting firm, was one of the first to buy a Tesla. According to preliminary reports from the NHTSA, Brown had been driving his Tesla in self-drive mode in May 2016 when a tractor-trailer made a left turn in front of him. The car failed to apply the brakes and Brown was killed, the first known fatality involving a self-driven car.

(a) Does this mean the car was defective? On what basis might Brown's family bring a suit? How would Tesla defend itself?

(b) Should self-driven cars always be programmed to protect the driver? Suppose, for example, that the car could avoid killing a mother walking a toddler across the street but doing so would likely seriously maim or kill the driver. What ethical issues arise?