Tesla driver blames self-driving technology for eight-car pile-up on San Francisco’s Bay Bridge, leaving child hospitalized – after vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the street
- The Thanksgiving Day crash disrupted traffic on the Bay Bridge and sent two to the hospital
- The crash happened as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was investigating Tesla’s self-driving programs and considering a possible recall
- The Department of Transportation’s sub-agency launched the investigation after 16 Tesla crashes were reported
A Tesla driver has blamed the self-driving technology for an eight-car pile-up on San Francisco’s Bay Bridge on Thanksgiving – and claims the software malfunctioned.
The accident, which happened around 12.40pm on Thursday 24 November, resulted in two people – including a child – being hospitalised. Another 16 people were treated for injuries at the scene. None was life-threatening.
According to a CNN report, video of the incident shows the Tesla changing lanes and stalling in the middle of the road, causing a dangerous traffic jam that disrupted the flow of traffic for hours.
Some users of Tesla’s self-driving features complain that the brakes are sometimes triggered “without warning” and “randomly.”
Four ambulances were called to the scene and two lanes were closed for about 90 minutes.
The accident came just hours after Elon Musk announced the company’s “fully self-driving” software is available to anyone in North America who requests it.
Previously, it had only been offered to drivers with high safety scores in its internal rating system.
Drivers are warned when installing the program that it “can do the wrong thing at the worst possible time”. The program requires an attentive human driver who is always ready to take full control of the steering wheel.
According to the traffic accident report, the driver of the Tesla Model S told the California Highway Patrol they were traveling at about 55 miles per hour and shifted into the left lane when the car’s self-driving technology suddenly decided to brake.
On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would dispatch a team to investigate the accident.
The CHP previously said it could not confirm whether the full “self-driving” software was active at the time of the crash and Tesla would have that information.
Reports of the vacation crash come as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is already investigating Tesla’s driver assistance programs following multiple reports of braking being “random” and “without warning.”
Some have complained of the brakes unexpectedly triggering “repeatedly during a single ride”.
The Thanksgiving Day accident in San Francisco came just hours after CEO Elon Musk announced that “full self-driving” would be available to all North American Tesla drivers, not just those with high safety scores
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is in the process of investigating Tesla over its self-driving technology after a spate of crashes and hundreds of safety complaints from Tesla drivers
An image from Thanksgiving that brought traffic to a halt on San Francisco’s Bay Bridge around midday. Up to eight vehicles were involved in the accident
CNN noted that the agency has received hundreds of complaints from Tesla drivers, some of whom have described near misses and ongoing safety concerns.
Last summer, the agency switched its probe to what it called technical analysis, suggesting it may be seriously considering a recall.
NHTSA has launched its investigation into 16 accidents involving Teslas.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has also accused Tesla of falsely advertising its “Autopilot” feature.
The California DMV remains in the discovery phase for final proceedings.