A 56-year-old Tesla Model S driver said he was using Autopilot when he struck and killed someone on a motorcycle last week, about 15 miles from Seattle.
The Washington State Patrol affidavit says the driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide “based on admitted inattentive driving” while in driving mode. autopilot and was using a cell phone while driving, according to a CNBC report. The department did not respond to Business Insider’s request for information.
The driver told a Washington State Patrol trooper that he was on autopilot and looking at his cell phone while the Tesla was moving, according to the CNBC report.
“The next thing he knew, there was a bang and the vehicle swerved while accelerating and collided with the motorcycle in front of him,” the officer wrote in a probable cause document, according to CNBC.
Federal regulators said Friday they were studying whether Tesla’s recall of two million vehicles in December was enough to ensure driver assistance technology puts an end to driver abuse.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was launching an investigation to “evaluate the adequacy” of the December recall to “address abuse, mode confusion, or use in environments for which the system is not intended.” not designed.”
The new investigation will focus on Model Y, X, S, 3 and Cybertruck vehicles with Autopilot manufactured between 2012 and 2024, according to the NHTSA report.
In December, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles to update Autopilot software. The recall follows a two-year NHTSA investigation that identified at least 13 crashes resulting in at least one death and several serious injuries. The software update aimed to improve driver awareness by increasing warnings and alerts.
The NHTSA document says Tesla said “part of the remedy requires both the owner to adhere to it and allow the driver to easily override it.”
It’s unclear whether the driver involved in the Washington crash had installed the software update in his Tesla.
According to NHTSA documents, most newer Teslas have software that updates automatically.
In a document released Thursday on the recall request, NHTSA notes that the term “autopilot” may lead drivers to think that “automation has greater capabilities than it does and invites drivers to do too much reliance on automation.”
Tesla’s website states that Autopilot mode does not make the vehicle autonomous and that drivers should exercise extra caution and be attentive.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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