NHTSA Investigates Fatal Tesla Autopilot Crash in California
Federal safety regulators investigate a fatal Tesla Model S crash in Newport Beach that kills three people and potentially involves the Autopilot system.
A U.S. federal agency investigates a crash involving a 2022 Tesla Model S that kills three people in Newport Beach, California. The vehicle strikes a curb and slams into construction equipment, and authorities suspect that Tesla's Autopilot advanced driver-assistance system operates during the collision.
This accident marks one of more than 30 crashes currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for potential Autopilot involvement. Out of 35 special crash investigations into Tesla's ADAS since 2016, regulators rule out Autopilot in only three cases, with 14 crash deaths reported across these probes overall.
Tesla's website states that current Autopilot features require active driver supervision, but critics accuse the company's branding of misleading consumers. Names like "Autopilot" and "full self-driving software" create a false sense of security, even though the technology remains far from true autonomous driving capabilities.