The California Highway Patrol reported a collision where a Tesla driver stated they were asleep while using the Full Self-Driving system. The vehicle struck a parked patrol car at a scene where officers were responding to a prior accident, resulting in serious injuries to two officers who were subsequently hospitalized.
The incident prompted a warning from the California Highway Patrol, emphasizing that the driver-assist technology does not make vehicles fully autonomous and does not absolve drivers of their responsibility to operate cars safely. Video footage shows the Tesla failing to slow down despite the presence of emergency lights and flares.
This event follows a history of similar collisions involving parked emergency vehicles. In 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot, concluding that the system failed to ensure sufficient driver engagement and was linked to hundreds of crashes and dozens of fatalities.
In 2023, Tesla introduced an update to Autopilot designed to increase driver oversight through additional controls and alerts. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration subsequently initiated a new investigation to determine if these measures are adequate for ensuring safe vehicle operation.
