An Autopiloted Tesla that fatally crashed in Florida in May was being driven at 74 in a 65 zone, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board. “System performance data also revealed that the driver was operating the vehicle using the advanced driver assistance features Traffic-Aware Cruise Control and Autosteer lane keeping assistance”, the report reads.
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In a June 30 report from Tesla, the automaker explained what caused the accident, revealing the Autopilot feature did not recognize the tractor trailer in the bright sunlight.
The Tesla auto involved in a fatal crash in Florida this spring was in Autopilot mode and going about 10 miles faster than the speed limit, according to safety regulators, who also
released a picture of the mangled vehicle.
Tesla’s Autopilot semi-autonomous driving feature was engaged, the report says.
“The electric vehicle manufacturer also emphasized that accident in Florida was the” first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where the Autopilot was activated. The vehicle also had an automatic emergency braking system that was created to slow or stop before a collision, according to the NTSB.
Tesla faces a separate investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) into whether the system poses an unreasonable risk to driver safety.
The preliminary NTSB report didn’t include any conclusions about why the collision occurred or whether Tesla’s Autopilot system contains any flaws. The auto was also being driven nine miles an hour above the posted speed limit of 65 mph. Since then Elon Musk has clarified, using his Master Plan: Part Deux to reassure the public every iteration of the system is thoroughly tested in-house, but the beta label is used to minimize complacency among drivers.
The NTSB said Joshua Brown, 40, of OH, was driving at 74 miles per hour with the car’s semi-autonomous driving system engaged at the time of the crash that took his life. The vehicle coasted off the highway, struck a utility pole and came to rest in the front yard of a private home, the report said.
The tractor-trailer, which was transporting a load of blueberries to a local farm, sustained only minor damage.
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A final determination might take 12 months, the federal agency said.
