NTSB Confirms Tesla Autopilot Active During 2018 Fire Truck Crash
A preliminary NTSB report reveals that a Tesla Model S strikes a parked fire truck in California while Autopilot is engaged for nearly 14 minutes. Investigators note the driver keeps hands off the wheel for the vast majority of that time despite multiple visual and auditory warnings.
A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board confirms that a 2014 Tesla Model S operates with its Autopilot system engaged for nearly 14 minutes before striking a parked fire truck in Culver City, California. The January 2018 crash occurs on Interstate 405 and results in no injuries, as the driver survives unharmed and the fire truck remains unoccupied.
Investigators determine that the driver keeps hands off the steering wheel for the vast majority of the Autopilot session, applying torque for only 51 seconds out of the 13 minutes and 48 seconds leading up to the collision. The Tesla system issues four separate visual alerts and one auditory warning regarding hands-off operation, with the longest period of driver inactivity lasting 3 minutes and 41 seconds.
The vehicle runs on older Hardware Version 1 and software updated just weeks before the incident, utilizing standard Autopilot features like adaptive cruise control and Autosteer. The NTSB states it finds no evidence of texting or calling by the driver right before the crash, and the agency plans to release a final accident brief detailing the probable cause on Wednesday.