U.S. safety officials have increased their pressure on Tesla by launching investigations into steering wheels that have come off several SUVs and a tragic collision involving a Tesla that is thought to have been using an automatic driving system when it collided with a parked firetruck in California.
A special crash investigation team will be formed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to look into the collision between a Tesla Model S and a ladder truck from the Contra Costa County fire department on February 18.
The agency’s inquiry into various incidents of Teslas utilizing the automaker’s Autopilot technology colliding with stationary emergency vehicles tending to other wrecks includes the firetruck.
In the past year, the NHTSA has increased its vigilance in pursuing Tesla safety issues, announcing numerous recalls and investigations.
A passenger in the 2014 Tesla Model S was badly hurt in the collision, while the driver was killed. The $1.4 million ladder truck was damaged, and four firefighters received minimal medical attention
The Autopilot system’s ability to recognize and react to emergency cars parked on highways is under investigation by NHTSA. By utilizing the system, at least 14 Teslas have nationwide collisions with emergency vehicles.
Not all crashes where NHTSA sends investigators involve automated driving systems. The Ohio State Highway Patrol, for instance, found that the Tesla that struck one of its patrol cars in November was not in “any form of autonomous mode.”
According to authorities, the California firetruck was parked diagonally on a roadway with its lights on to protect rescuers to an earlier collision that did not result in casualties.
The chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, Lewis Broschard III, expressed concern on behalf of his organization regarding the dangers that careless drivers present to other road users as well as emergency personnel.
“These unnecessary deaths, injuries, risks to firefighters, and loss of valuable equipment are all preventable,” He urged motorists to pull over for emergency vehicles and slow down for them.
“Recent reports of automobiles that may have been operating automated driving systems crashing into parked emergency vehicles at the scene of an emergency is a serious concern for the safety of our firefighters and paramedics and the public we are serving,” Rob Brown Jr., CEO of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, said in an email.
In the past year, NHTSA has scrutinized Teslas more closely, requesting many recalls and starting investigations.
Following more than a dozen crashes, some of which were fatal, involving Tesla’s driver assistance system Autopilot, which was turned on during the accidents, the U.S. Department of Justice opened the previously unreported investigation last two years.
Tesla’s marketing brochures began praising Autopilot’s capabilities as early as 2016. Elon Musk, the CEO of the Silicon Valley automaker, said in a conference call that year that it was “probably better” than a human driver.
A video currently on the company’s website says: “The person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons. He is not doing anything. The car is driving itself.”
But the company has also made it clear that while using Autopilot, drivers must maintain control of their cars by keeping their hands on the wheel.
According to the company’s website, the characteristics of the Tesla technology “do not make the vehicle autonomous.” Instead, they are intended to help with steering, braking, speed, and lane changes.
These cautions, according to the sources, might complicate any lawsuit the Justice Department might want to file.
Anita Zuuri
Annie is an entertainment and lifestyle writer. She enjoys reading and writing about music, celebrities and their lifestyles, food, cars and tech.