Whether it was a misunderstanding or a misuse of the Autonomous Cruise Control system it's hard to say. In Florida it was a blatant misuse of the Autonomous Cruise Control system by watching a Harry Potter movie rather than watching what was coming on the road in front of the car and in California it might have been the same when error warnings and messages were ignored by the driver as well.
This is why people need to more fully understand the severe limitations of an Autonomous Cruise control system. It works and I've used one on a Tesla but I NEVER stopped watching the road and all traffic around me like a hawk while I had this on. The danger comes if you stop watching what is happening even for a slit second. For example, texting is potentially fatal. Looking away from the road (for any reason) is potentially fatal. So, the ONLY way this Autonomous Cruise Control is useful is if you see it as an advanced form of regular Cruise Control in most cars which only keeps you at the same speed that you set and nothing else. If you think about Autonomous Cruise Control the way you think of regular Cruise Control this likely would be the safest point of view to be in while using autonomous Cruise Control.
Because it is NOT a fully self driving car, it only appears to be one but is not and isn't designed to be at all. So, some people are "Faked out by this" and go into a state of complacency which ushers in their deaths or maimings.
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