WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - U.S. auto safety regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into about 25,000 Tesla Motors Inc.'s (TSLA) Model S cars after a driver of one of the vehicles was killed while operating the vehicle in 'Autopilot' mode.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or NHTSA said that a fatal highway crash involving a 2015 Tesla Model S operating with automated driving systems engaged 'calls for an examination of the design and performance of any driving aids in use at the time of the crash.'
Meanwhile, Tesla said in a blog post, 'This is the first known fatality in just over 130 million miles where Autopilot was activated'. Among all vehicles in the U.S., there is a fatality every 94 million miles.
Tesla noted that the NHTSA action is simply a preliminary evaluation to determine whether the system worked according to expectations.
The company added that following its standard practice, it informed the NHTSA about the incident immediately after it occurred. According to the company, the vehicle involved in the fatal crash was on a divided highway with Autopilot engaged when a tractor trailer drove across the highway perpendicular to the Model S.
'Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied. The high ride height of the trailer combined with its positioning across the road and the extremely rare circumstances of the impact caused the Model S to pass under the trailer, with the bottom of the trailer impacting the windshield of the Model S,' Tesla said.
Further, the company said it disables Autopilot by default and that customers are required to give explicit acknowledgement that the autopilot system is new technology and is still in a public beta phase before it can be enabled.
According to Tesla, when drivers activate Autopilot, the acknowledgment box explains, among other things, that Autopilot is an assist feature that requires the driver to keep his hands on the steering wheel at all times and that they also need to maintain control and responsibility for their vehicle while using it.
The company said it was saddened by the death of the customer and extended its deepest sympathies to his family and friends.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX