Three Killed in Xiaomi SU7 Intelligent Assisted Driving System Accident: Recounting the Accident and Xiaomi's Official Response

Three Killed in Xiaomi SU7 Intelligent Assisted Driving System Accident: Recounting the Accident and Xiaomi's Official ResponseOn April 1st, news broke of a serious traffic accident that occurred on the evening of March 29th on the DeShang Expressway in Tongling, Anhui Province. A Xiaomi SU7 vehicle collided with a guardrail and caught fire, resulting in the tragic deaths of three people inside

Three Killed in Xiaomi SU7 Intelligent Assisted Driving System Accident: Recounting the Accident and Xiaomi's Official Response

On April 1st, news broke of a serious traffic accident that occurred on the evening of March 29th on the DeShang Expressway in Tongling, Anhui Province. A Xiaomi SU7 vehicle collided with a guardrail and caught fire, resulting in the tragic deaths of three people inside. Xiaomi expressed its deepest condolences and released an official statement detailing the accident and the company's response.

The accident occurred at 10:44 PM on March 29th on the ChiQi section of the DeShang Expressway. According to Xiaomi's official statement, the Xiaomi SU7 standard version vehicle was operating under its NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) intelligent assisted driving system at a speed of 116 km/h. The accident occurred in a section of road under construction and repair, where the original lane was blocked by barriers, forcing the vehicle to change lanes into oncoming traffic.

Before the accident, the vehicle's intelligent assisted driving system detected an obstacle ahead and issued corresponding warnings and deceleration instructions. The timeline is as follows:

• 22:27:17: NOA intelligent assisted driving system activated, speed 116 km/h.

• 22:28:17: System issued a mild distraction warning.

• 22:36:48: System issued a hands-off warning: "Please hold the steering wheel."

• 22:44:24: System issued a risk warning: "Please be aware of the obstacle ahead," and began decelerating.

• 22:44:25: The driver took over the vehicle, switching to manual driving. The steering wheel turned left 22.0625 degrees, brake pedal opening 31%.

• 22:44:26: The steering wheel turned right 1.0625 degrees, brake pedal opening 38%.

• 22:44:26-28: The vehicle collided with the concrete guardrail.

• 22:44:28: Emergency call system (eCall) triggered.

• 22:44:39: Emergency call system connected, confirmed the accident, and contacted emergency services (120 ambulance and police).

The system's final recorded speed before the collision was approximately 97 km/h. The vehicle immediately caught fire after the collision. Following the accident, Xiaomi immediately contacted the vehicle owner and learned that the vehicle was not being driven by the owner. The company immediately activated its emergency plan, cooperated fully with the police investigation, formed a special task force on March 30th to travel to Tongling to assist in the investigation and evidence collection, and submitted the vehicle's driving data and system operation information to the police on the evening of March 31st.

Xiaomi's official statement clearly stated that it would fully cooperate with the police investigation, strictly abide by the investigation results, and ensure that the handling of the incident is open and transparent. The company also contacted the families of the victims to assist with post-accident matters and provide support.

Xiaomi's statement expressed deep sorrow for the victims and emphasized the seriousness with which it was taking the incident. After the accident, the company responded swiftly, taking a series of measures including: immediately contacting the vehicle owner to understand the situation; calling emergency services; reporting the accident to the police; forming a special task force to cooperate with the police investigation; submitting relevant data to the police; and contacting the families of the victims to provide support and assistance.

This accident has raised widespread public concern about the safety of intelligent assisted driving systems. While the statement mentioned that the system issued multiple warnings before the accident, it ultimately failed to prevent the tragedy. This highlights the inherent risks of intelligent assisted driving technology in practical applications and reminds drivers to remain vigilant when using such systems, avoid over-reliance, and maintain control of their vehicles at all times. The police are currently conducting a thorough investigation into the cause of the accident, and the findings will have a significant impact on the future development of intelligent driving technology and the improvement of relevant safety regulations.

The timeline and data released by Xiaomi in its statement provide important reference information for the police investigation. However, the public still awaits the police's final conclusions regarding the specific cause of the accident and the role played by the intelligent assisted driving system. The accident serves as a reminder to all drivers that safe driving is paramount, whether using intelligent assisted driving systems or driving manually; drivers must always remain vigilant, obey traffic rules, and ensure their own safety and the safety of others. The publication of the investigation results will help the public better understand the limitations and risks of intelligent assisted driving technology and encourage the industry to strengthen technological research and development and safety oversight to reduce similar accidents.

This incident presents a serious challenge not only for Xiaomi but also for the entire intelligent driving industry. Balancing the convenience and safety of intelligent assisted driving will be a major challenge for future industry development. The public expects Xiaomi and other intelligent driving technology providers to learn from this accident, further improve their technology, enhance safety, and provide consumers with a safer and more reliable driving experience. Relevant laws and regulations also need to be updated and improved to adapt to the development of intelligent driving technology and protect the lives and property of the public.

The final cause of the accident and the determination of responsibility await further investigation and announcement by the police. However, regardless of the outcome, this accident serves as another stark reminder that safe driving is always paramount.