US regulators sent a team to investigate the fatal crash of a Tesla in a Houston suburb, where, according to local authorities, no one was behind the wheel.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said today it has sent a special team to Spring, Texas, to investigate the electric car accident Saturday night.
Investigators are “100% certain” that no one in the 2019 Model S drove off a residential road, hit a tree and caught fire, killing two men inside, said Harris County Officer Mark Herman.
Tesla with autopilot engaged is now approaching 10 times lower accident chance than average vehicle https://t.co/6lGy52wVhC
– Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2021
But the authorities are still trying to determine whether the car worked with Autopilot, which assists the driver, or with the “Full Self-Driving Capability” system of total autonomy.
One of the men was found in the passenger seat and the other in the back seat, Herman told The Associated Press.
NHTSA said today that they are working with local authorities to learn more about the details of the accident.
Tesla has had serious problems with its semi-automatic Autopilot system, which has been involved in several fatal accidents where it failed to detect trailers, stop emergency vehicles, or close a roadblock. The United States National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit the roads Autopilot can operate on safely, and that the company also install a more robust system to monitor drivers and make sure they pay attention. But neither Tesla nor the regulator has taken any action.
Tesla has not commented on today’s NTSHA announcement. The company has said in the past that drivers using Autopilot should be ready to intervene at any time and that the “Full Self-Driving Capability” system should also be continuously monitored by drivers.