According to the fire department, a Tesla hit a fire truck. The driver died at the scene of the accident. The NHTSA has taken up the investigation.
On Wednesday the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that they were launching a new special investigation into a fatal accident in February in California has opened involving a Tesla Model S and is suspected to have used an advanced driver assistance system.
The accident involving the Tesla hitting a fire truck in Contra Costa County, California, is under investigation by the agency. The driver of the Tesla was pronounced dead at the scene.
In December, NHTSA announced it had opened two new special investigations into accidents involving Tesla vehicles suspected of using advanced driver assistance systems. As of 2016, NHTSA has conducted more than three dozen special accident investigations Tesla carried out where the use of the autopilot system was suspected. This resulted in 20 deaths
NHTSA typically conducts more than 100 specialized accident investigations per year on emerging technologies and other potential automotive safety issues that have historically helped develop airbag safety codes.
In June, NHTSA released its investigation into defects in 830,000 Tesla vehicles with autopilot systems involved in crashes involving parked emergency vehicles, including fire trucks, were upgraded to a technical analysis. This was required before the Authority issued a recall could request.
NHTSA checks whether Tesla vehicles ensure drivers stay alert. Earlier, the agency said the evidence indicates that drivers in most of the crashes studied followed Tesla’s warning strategy to compel driver attention, raising questions about its effectiveness.