NTSB Begins Investigating Autonomous Car Accidents Like Plane Crashes

Another Tesla crash, another round of finger-pointing. This time, a Tesla owner in Los Angeles drove into the back of a parked fire truck on a freeway this past Monday while the car’s Autopilot semi-autonomous drive system was, according to the driver, engaged. Fortunately there were no injuries, but the National Transportation Safety Board indicated that it would send two investigators to look into the incident.

That last detail alone—that the NTSB would even show up for an otherwise straightforward rear-end collision on a highway—is actually the most significant part of this story, and it’s a telling indicator of what we’re up against as we march through the semi-autonomous phase of driving on our way to the Holy Grail of fully autonomous transport. This is new turf, and the NTSB needs as much data as it can get about what happens when drivers engage new technologies on public roads and things go awry.

Read Article

TheSteve - 1/29/2018 1:30:54 PM

0 Boost

I doubt the same rigor will be applied to the auto industry as there is to the aviation industry. A single aviation accident investigation can cost millions of dollars.

Also, the aviation industry is heavily regulated, with laws that require specific service intervals, mandatory revisions (i.e., "recalls"), and even requiring recertification ("Type Certificate") if a relatively minor change is made. The aircraft sector also has mandatory (and very stringent) operator training. You might even need special training and a license "endorsement" to allow you to fly a certain aircraft, like a high-performance Mitsubishi MU-2 twin turboprop. Imagine laws that would require special training and a type endorsement for an American driver to be legally allowed to operate a high-performance car, like a Ferrari... LOL!

This is why a nice 4-seat piston single aircraft can cost US$600,000 (new), while you can get a nice 4-seat piston automobile for US$60,000. It's also why it's not in the least bit unusual to have a 55-year-old aircraft operating in perfect condition, being perfectly safe, with lots of life still left in it.

The automotive industry and the aircraft industry are miles apart!

TomM - 1/29/2018 3:42:10 PM

-1 Boost

I suppose if we have LOTS of Tesla's targeting the back side of stationary fire trucks - that would be something worth an NTSB investigation. Right now - such things are clearly operator error - because no state allows complete no driver Autonomous vehicle driving. I also note that my Grandfather got his drivers license through the mail - took no test at all.

The problem with Autonomous features is that unthinking humans now have something else to blame for mistakes that they make - and eventually the NTSB will have to require some type of system that allows them to know when the features were being used. I would think that the manufacturers will want that just to avoid litigations - which will come.

But it is HOW to investigate such accidents that the NTSB will be interested in - because that is what has not been established today.

TheSteve - 1/29/2018 5:34:46 PM

-1 Boost

TomM: +1. Agreed. No argument from me :-)

SanJoseDriver - 2/1/2018 2:19:50 AM

+1 Boost

Tesla does record every action taken in the car, including when Autopilot is turned on/off. I would be surprised if other automakers weren't doing the same on new cars with semi-autonomous functionality.