Tesla's Autopilot Alerted Driver to Retake Wheel Seven Times Prior to Fatal Crash

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

The National Transportation Safety Board has finally concluded its investigation into a May 2016 crash in Florida that resulted in the death of 40-year-old Joshua Brown. The ex-Navy SEAL’s Tesla Model S was operating in Autopilot mode when it collided with a semi trailer, raising speculation that the semi-autonomous driving feature was the reason for the accident.

While Tesla has repeatedly called the system a lane-keeping “assist feature” and suggested drivers always keep their hands on the wheel, consumer safety groups have urged the automaker to improve it.

An earlier investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated in January that the Autopilot software in Brown’s car did not have any safety defects. However, the NTSB stated that data acquired from the vehicle’s computer indicated that neither the vehicle nor its operator made any attempt to avoid the truck. It also specified that the vehicle had issued seven warnings for Brown to retake the wheel.

In the 37 minutes leading up to the fatal crash, the report said the car detected hands on the steering wheel for a total of 25 seconds.

Brown’s car was traveling at roughly 74 miles an hour when it struck the side of a trailer that was crossing the highway. The Autopilot seemingly failed to distinguish between the white truck and the bright sky behind it. But witnesses to the accident indicated the driver should have seen it coming and had ample time to brake.

This might be a good time to once again remind drivers that there is no such thing as a fully autonomous production car yet. Adaptive cruise control allows a vehicle to maintain a pace relative to traffic in front of the car. Auto-steer holds the vehicle in its lane. Neither system is foolproof and both require you to remain alert and ready to take over in an instant.

With that in mind, the NTSB and NHTSA findings exonerate Tesla from any wrongdoing. As tragic as it is that Brown’s life ended because he trusted his vehicle so unconditionally, he appears to be the one most responsible for the incident. However, the Florida Highway Patrol had stated earlier that the truck driver had been issued a citation for a right of way traffic violation.

Earlier claims from the truck driver suggested Brown had been watching a DVD at the time of the accident, but no evidence has arisen to bolster those assertions. The NTSB stated that it had recovered numerous electronic devices, including a laptop, from the wrecked Tesla but did not have sufficient proof to indicate they were in use at the time of the crash. A lawyer representing Brown’s family told Reuters that any suggestions to the contrary were “unequivocally false.”

Brown was a major advocate of the Tesla brand and frequently posted videos praising its Autopilot function. After the accident Tesla issued a statement calling him “a friend to Tesla and the broader EV community, a person who spent his life focused on innovation and the promise of technology and who believed strongly in Tesla’s mission,” before offering sympathies to his family.

In the months following the crash, Tesla released a revised Autopilot system as part of its Hardware 2.0 update. Statements from late 2016 made by CEO Elon Musk seemed to suggest some of the changes made may have prevented the fatal accident.

The Brown family has not taken any legal action against Tesla and is still reviewing the NTSB report.

[Image: Tesla]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Vvk Vvk on Jun 23, 2017

    This and many other fatal car/tractor trailer collisions could have been avoided if the trailer was lower to the ground. Why are North American trailers so much taller than European ones? Passenger vehicles, even high and mighty SUVs and pickups, are not compatible with the super tall trailers.

    • Joeaverage Joeaverage on Jun 25, 2017

      Fuel Economy? Europeans actually care about safety of motorists rather than just giving the topic lipservice? US Gov: No you can't have that interesting car from Europe here in the USA (supposed Land of the Free). Its unsafe - never mind things like tractor trailers running over you and a thousand other ways to die remain unaddressed. No you can't have that interesting car that could kill you because it can't pass a 5 mph bumper test. Never mind that motorcycles sold here have always been able to kill you easier.

  • Wumpus Wumpus on Jun 24, 2017

    Way back in the 1970s, seat belts were somewhat new* a friend's father was giving my father and I a ride somewhere. He had a new car and was showing my father this complicated way to wrap the seatbelt so the buzzer wouldn't go off (early ones never gave up) and you wouldn't suffer the horror of wearing your seat belt. I strongly support the ability to override such devices "because I'm the human", but it's surprising just how often people will use this power to get themselves killed. *I remember my father installing a lap belt in the backseat. The front seat had them (but not shoulder belts) from the factory.

  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
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