US opens probe into fatal Tesla crash at Texas home
Federal safety regulators are investigating after a Tesla Model 3 hit a home near Houston, killing a 76-year-old woman inside.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
U.S. road safety regulators have opened an investigation into a fatal Tesla crash in Texas after local authorities said the driver reported using an automated driving-assistance system. The case adds to federal scrutiny of Tesla’s driver-assistance technology, which regulators have been reviewing after other reported incidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Monday it had begun a Special Crash Investigation into the June 19 crash involving a Tesla Model 3 near Houston, according to a statement provided to Al Jazeera. The vehicle struck a home, killing a 76-year-old woman who was inside, the outlet reported.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said last week that the driver told officers he had been using the Model 3’s automated driving-assistance system when the car left the roadway and hit the residence. Police said the driver showed no signs of intoxication and cooperated with investigators after the crash, according to Al Jazeera.
Tesla did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
Tesla executives dispute self-driving claim
Tesla CEO Elon Musk challenged reports that the vehicle was operating in self-driving mode at the time of the crash. In a post on X, Musk said Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system travels slowly on neighborhood streets and argued that the Texas crash involved high speed.
Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s vice president of AI, also said on X that the crash was not caused by the company’s technology. He wrote that the driver had overridden the system by pressing the accelerator, and said the vehicle reached 73 mph during the crash and the accelerator remained pressed afterward.
Al Jazeera reported that Elluswamy did not provide a source for that account of the incident.
Tesla promotes Full Self-Driving as a major feature of its vehicles, but Al Jazeera reported that the current system is not fully autonomous and requires driver supervision at all times. Musk has made self-driving technology a central part of Tesla’s long-term plans and has predicted that 90 percent of driving in the United States will be autonomous within a decade, according to Al Jazeera.
Federal scrutiny has grown
The NHTSA has examined Tesla’s driver-assistance systems in several probes in recent years. In October, the agency opened an investigation into the “scope, frequency, and potential safety consequences” of the technology after 58 reported incidents involving Tesla vehicles running red lights or moving into oncoming traffic, according to Al Jazeera.
In March, the regulator escalated a separate probe into how Tesla’s self-driving mode performs in low-visibility conditions, including fog, sun glare and other obstructions, Al Jazeera reported.
Tesla has denied that its self-driving technology creates hazards for drivers and pedestrians. The company has argued that the system is up to 10 times safer than human drivers, according to Al Jazeera.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.