Cellphone data showed the driver was not
using his phone to talk or text in the minutes
leading up to the crash, but the NTSB could not
determine if any apps were being used.
A statement from a driver in a nearby vehicle
provided by Tesla said the driver appeared to
be looking down at a cellphone or other device
before the crash.
The NTSB’s finding is another black mark against
the Autopilot system, which was activated in
three fatal crashes in the U.S., including two in
Florida and one in Silicon Valley.
In the Florida crashes, one in 2016 and another
in March of this year, the system failed to brake
for a semi turning in front of the Teslas, and the
vehicles went under the turning trailers. In the
other fatality, in Mountain View, California, in
March of 2018, Autopilot accelerated just before
the Model X SUV crashed into a freeway barrier,
killing its driver, the NTSB found.
The NTSB investigates highway crashes and
makes safety recommendations largely to
another federal agency, the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration, which has the
power to seek recalls and make regulations.
David Friedman, a former acting NHTSA
administrator who now is vice president of
advocacy at Consumer Reports, said Tesla has
known for years that its system allows drivers
to not pay attention, yet it hasn’t taken the
problem seriously.
Autopilot can steer a car in its lane, change lanes
with driver permission, keep a safe distance from
vehicles ahead of it and automatically brake to
avoid a crash.
Some drivers will always rely too much on
driver assist systems, and the system must be
programmed to handle that, Friedman said.
c. jardin
(C. Jardin)
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