NHTSA investigates ‘violent’ Tesla crash, autopilot not yet ruled out

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a “violent” accident involving a Tesla sedan and a semi-trailer late last week in Detroit. Investigators have yet to say whether Tesla’s autopilot, FSD, or beta version of Tesla’s FSD may have contributed to the crash.

NHTSA said in a statement on Monday: “NHTSA is aware of the violent accident on March 11 in Detroit involving a Tesla and a semi-trailer truck. We have launched a special crash investigation team to investigate the crash. ‘accident.” Reuters previously reported the probe.

The Detroit Police Department said in an email that the accident happened when a Tesla driven by “an unknown driver” struck a semi-truck and “got stuck under the trailer.” A passenger in the car is in critical condition and the circumstances of the accident are still under investigation.

NHTSA has already embarked on polls in more than a dozen crashes that involved Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems.

These systems include Tesla’s standard autopilot package and a more advanced option marketed as Full Self-Driving, which is sold today for $ 10,000. The company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (or FSD) technology does not make Tesla vehicles safe for use without a driver behind the wheel. Some customers who purchase the FSD option also have access to a “beta” version to try out the latest features added to the system before any bugs are fixed.

Investigators have yet to say whether any of these systems were in use during or just before the March 11 crash in Detroit. However, Tesla vehicles with autopilot have collided with stationary objects and large vehicles, including tractor trailers and fire trucks, on several occasions.

Jeremy Beren Banner, 50, of Lake Worth, Fla., Died when his Model 3 on autopilot struck the side of a semi-trailer in Florida on March 1, 2019, resulting in roof shearing from his car. he went below.

Tesla’s autopilot system, although it has changed significantly over the years, has been under regulatory review since 2016, when an owner named Joshua Brown died driving his Tesla Model S with the autopilot engaged around Gainsville, Florida. The vehicle also collided with a tractor trailer.

Another federal vehicle safety oversight body that gives recommendations to the NHTSA, the National Transportation Safety Board, recently called for clear and strict rules for automated driving systems at the federal level. The board said Tesla’s approach to automated driving systems was the reason tighter safety requirements and clear regulations were needed.