Tesla is again under scrutiny by the US federal government over a Tesla vehicle that collided with a truck trailer in Detroit.
In 2016, 45-year-old Joshua Brown died in a truck collision while using the autopilot of his Tesla Model S in Florida.
The accident was widely publicized as the first fatal accident on a Tesla using autopilot.
Neither Brown nor the autopilot could see the trailer of a truck crossing the highway, and the car ended up going under the trailer. The autopilot drove a significant distance before stopping.
This sparked a federal investigation into Tesla’s autopilot system and eventually the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) closed its investigation without finding any defects or issuing any recalls.
Another similar accident happened on a model 3 in 2019.
Now we hear of a third party that happened in Detroit last week. This time it wasn’t fatal, but it did result in serious injuries to both people at Tesla.
According to the accident report, Tesla crashed into the trailer of a semi-truck, and the front half of the electric car lodged under the trailer.
At the moment, it is not clear whether the vehicle was using autopilot, but the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced that it has initiated an investigation.
As we reported earlier, the NTSB frequently examines Tesla’s accidents and criticizes the automaker for its autopilot features.
However, the NTSB has no power over the automakers, unlike the NHTSA, which has now also announced that it is investigating the accident:
NHTSA is aware of the violent March 11 crash in Detroit involving a Tesla and a tractor trailer. We launched a special fault investigation team to investigate the fault.
Again, at this point, we do not know whether the autopilot was involved in the accident.
Electrek’s Take
At this point, I’m not sure what they are looking for with these accidents.
Like the previous ones, even if the autopilot was active and did not detect the trailer, it is not new information.
We know that autopilot is currently unable to detect and react to all objects on the road, so drivers need to be alert and ready to take control at all times.
In fact, these accidents are reminders to always be vigilant when using autopilot.
When it comes to trailer accidents, perhaps they could enforce regulations that require trailers to be equipped with guards:
What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below.
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