Third in a Month: NHTSA Opens Probe Following Tesla Crash

Cars crash all the time, but vehicles believed to be piloted by an advanced driver-assist system at the time of the collision earn themselves an investigation from a federal agency. Such is the case with the latest Tesla crash, with occurred in Indiana on December 29th.

The fatal collision between a Model 3 and a parked fire truck is the third such investigation opened by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in a month.

If you’ve followed previous NHTSA crash probes (this is the 14th involving Tesla), you’ll know that parked first responder vehicles seem to be a common target for the brand’s electric lineup. They’re also unlikely ones, tipping off the agency that the driver’s concentration may not have been on the road ahead.

As reported by Reuters, investigators will try and determine whether the Model 3’s Autopilot semi-autonomous driving system was activated at the time of the collision. The Associated Press reports that the crash took place on Interstate 70 near Terre Haute, killing a passenger riding in the Tesla.

Just days ago, NHTSA dispatched a team of investigators to examine the crash of a Model S in Gardena, California. That vehicle reportedly ran a red light and collided with the rear of a Honda Civic, killing two occupants in the other vehicle. The Indiana and California crashes occurred on the same day.

Last month, a 12th file was opened as the agency looked into a collision between a Model 3 and a parked police cruiser, which had its lights activated at the time, on Interstate 95 near Norwalk, Connecticut.

As stated multiple times before on these digital pages, Tesla warms drivers from taking their attention from the road and their hands from the wheel when Autopilot is engaged. The automaker wasn’t always so adamant about this, and drivers continue to post videos to YouTube showing just how much (misplaced) trust they have in the system.

[Image: Aleksei Potov/Shutterstock]