Investigation Launched into Tesla Safety After Fatal Crash
According to a report by Reuters, regulators from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are launching an investigation into a deadly collision involving a Tesla Model Y. The incident took place on July 19 in Virginia, where a Tesla collided with a tractor-trailer truck, resulting in the tragic death of the car’s driver. The regulators suspect that the 57-year-old Tesla driver was depending on the company’s advanced driver assistance systems during the accident.
The Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office released more details about the crash, saying the tractor trailer was trying to turn onto the highway from a truck stop when the Tesla hit its side and slid under the trailer. The driver of the Tesla was pronounced dead at the scene. The authorities issued a summons to the driver of the truck for careless driving.
The summons says authorities are blaming the truck driver for the incident, but Tesla’s assistance program is supposed to take responsibility for errors caused by other people on the road, hence the NHTSA investigation. To that end, the safety authority has launched more than three dozen investigations into crashes involving Tesla vehicles and their advanced assistance algorithms. In all, the agency suspects the system has been involved in 23 deaths since 2016.
In 2021, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) called on NHTSA to introduce stricter regulations for autonomous driving, stating in a letter that “Tesla is testing highly automated AV technology on public roads, but has limited monitoring or reporting requirements.”
Tesla’s own Autopilot technology is intended to steer, accelerate and brake the vehicle in a lane, while the improved system helps with lane changes on highways. Tesla says the system is not truly automated and requires active human supervision. The company has not responded to Reuters’ request for comment on this latest accident and the newly opened investigation.
