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The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into Tesla's Model S vehicle and its "Autopilot" system after a driver using the feature was killed in a crash.
The crash, involving a 2015 Model S vehicle, marked the first known fatality from a vehicle using self-driving technology in the U.S.
In a lengthy statement, Tesla called the NHTSA investigation a "preliminary evaluation to determine whether the system worked according to expectations."
The deadly crash occurred on May 7 in Williston, Florida, when the driver of a tractor-trailer made a left turn in front of the Tesla, according to a statement from the NHTSA obtained by BuzzFeed News.
The investigation will be handled by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, but officials noted that the probe did not mean a defect was suspected in the car's driverless technology.
Mark Schiefelbein / AP
"NHTSA will gather additional data regarding this incident and other information regarding the automated driving systems," NHTSA Communications Director Bryan Thomas said in a statement.
The inquiry will focus on the "design and performance of any automated driving systems in use at the time of the crash," according records on the investigation.
There are about 25,000 similar models currently in circulation, according to NHTSA.
"This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated," Tesla said in statement, calling the fatal crash a "tragic loss."
Tesla attributed the "extremely rare circumstances" of the crash as to why the system's brakes did not engage.
"Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied," the Tesla statement read. "The high ride height of the trailer combined with the its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer."
The Tesla crashed into the side of the truck's trailer, with its windshield hitting the bottom of the trailer, according to the company
"Had the Model S impacted the front or rear of the trailer, even at high speed, its advanced crash system would likely have prevented serious injury as it has in numerous other similar incidents," Tesla said.
The deadly crash comes at a time when automakers are beginning to introduce the new self-driving technology to the market.
Tesla noted that its "Autopilot" feature is automatically disabled in its Model S vehicles, and warns drivers before enabling it that "the system is a new technology and still in a public beta phase before it can be enabled."
Tesla said that while "it is not perfect," the technology is "getting better all the time."
"When used in conjunction with driver oversight, the data is unequivocal that Autopilot reduced driver workload and results in statistically significant improvement in safety."
The company did not identify the driver in the May 7 crash, but called him "a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community."
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/2991W6a
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