A driver travels without hands in a Tesla Motors Inc. vehicle. Model S equipped with hardware and software for autopilot in New York.
Christopher Goodney | Bloomberg | Getty Images
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating a “violent” accident involving a Tesla sedan and a tractor trailer late last week in Detroit. Investigators have not yet said whether the Tesla autopilot, FSD or FSD beta could have contributed to the crash.
NHTSA said in a statement on Monday, “NHTSA is aware of the violent accident that took place on March 11 in Detroit, involving a Tesla and a tractor trailer. We have launched a special accident investigation team to investigate the accident.” Reuters reported earlier investigation.
The Detroit Police Department said in an email that the crash occurred when a Tesla driven by “an unknown male driver” hit 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 being investigated.
NHTSA has previously been involved in wells in more than a dozen accidents that were thought to involve Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems.
These systems include the standard Tesla Autopilot package and a more advanced option marketed as Full Self-Driving, which is selling today for $ 10,000. The company’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (or FSD) technology does not make Tesla vehicles safe to operate without a driver at the wheel. Some customers who purchase the FSD option also have access to a “beta” version to try out the latest features that are added to the system before all errors are resolved.
Investigators have not yet said whether any of these systems were used during or even before the March 11 crash in Detroit. However, Tesla autopilot vehicles collided with stationary objects and large vehicles, including tractor trailers and fire trucks, several times.
A 50-year-old boy, Jeremy Beren Banner from Lake Worth, Florida, died when his model 3 on autopilot hit the side of the Florida semi-trailer on March 1, 2019, resulting in the roof of his car being cut as it passed under.
The Tesla autopilot system, although it has changed significantly over the years, has been under regular scrutiny since 2016, when an owner named Joshua Brown died driving a Tesla Model S autopilot hired around Gainsville, Florida. The vehicle also collided with a tractor trailer.
Another federal vehicle safety watchdog that offers recommendations to NHTSA, the National Transportation Safety Board, has recently called for clear and strict rules for automated driving systems at the federal level. The Council emphasized Tesla’s approach to automatic steering systems as a reason for stronger safety requirements and clear regulation.