Tesla defends FSD after crash kills woman in Texas
What's the story
Tesla is pushing back against allegations that its Full Self-Driving (FSD) system was responsible for a deadly crash in Texas. The incident involved a speeding Model 3 crashing into a house and killing a 76-year-old woman. In response to the claims, Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's head of AI, said the driver "manually overrode self-driving by pressing the accelerator all the way to 100% of the accel pedal in this residential area."
Incident specifics
Model 3 was traveling at 118km/h during crash
The crash occurred in a residential area of Katy, Texas, last Friday. The Harris County Sheriff's Office had said that the Model 3 driver was using the vehicle "with an automated driving assistance system." Elluswamy said on X that the driver, identified as Michael Butler, "reached a speed of 118km/h during the crash, and had the accelerator pressed even after the crash."
Media backlash
Elluswamy says media's protrayal of crash creates fear
Elluswamy expressed his displeasure at the media's portrayal of the crash and FSD, saying it creates "FUD [fear, uncertainty, and doubt] in the minds of the general public." Tesla CEO Elon Musk also dismissed any connection to the company's self-driving technology by emphasizing that "FSD drives slowly through neighborhood streets and this was a high speed crash!"
Ongoing probes
NHTSA launches probe into Texas crash
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating Tesla's self-driving technology. The probe is focused on whether the system effectively warns drivers when conditions are too poor to properly scan the road. The NHTSA has also launched an investigation into the Texas crash, as per The Washington Post.