Safety Agency Opens Probe into Tesla Crash

Jan. 9, 2020
This crash marks the third Tesla crash NHTSA has investigated in recent weeks.

Jan. 9, 2020—The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)  is investigating the Dec. 29 crash of a Tesla Model 3 in Indiana, according to CNBC.

The crash is the 14th involving Tesla that NHTSA’s special crash investigation program has taken up in which it suspects the company’s advanced driver- assistance system, or Autopilot, was in use. NHTSA said its special crash investigation team has reviewed a total of 23 crashes involving vehicles where it was believed some form of advanced driver assistance system played a role.

NHTSA is investigating another Dec. 29 crash that took place in Gardena, Fla., and another one in Connecticut. The crashes raised questions about the driver-assistance system’s ability to detect hazards, especially stationary objects.