Tesla fatal car accident investigation in California: Driver speeding and ignoring warnings

According to Reuters, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced on the 7th that it has completed the investigation into the fatal traffic accident of Tesla Model X in Mountain View, California on March 23 this year and released an investigation report.

In the investigation report, the NTSB clearly pointed out that at the time of the accident, the Tesla was in autopilot mode, and the driver's hands were not on the steering wheel within six seconds before the accident. During the driving process, the Autopilot automatic assisted driving system equipped in the vehicle involved had repeatedly issued warnings to the driver to "put your hands on the steering wheel", but until the six seconds before the accident, the driver did not follow the system's warning suggestions. In addition, the vehicle involved was also suspected of speeding.

The report stated that on the day of the accident, 38-year-old driver Walter Huang had Tesla's Autopilot automatic assisted driving system turned on for a long time and was warned by the system three times: two visual warnings and one auditory warning, all of which required the driver to hold the steering wheel. However, for various reasons, the driver failed to follow the warnings of the system.

Through technical means, the NTSB restored the process of the accident:

1. Eight seconds before the accident, the vehicle had been following another moving car and was traveling at a speed of 65 miles per hour (about 105 kilometers)

2. 7 seconds before the accident, the Tesla involved began to turn left while tracking another vehicle driving in front.

3. 4 seconds before the accident, the Tesla involved overtook all vehicles in front.

4. Three seconds before the accident, the speed of the vehicle involved quickly increased from 62 miles per hour (about 99 kilometers) to 70.8 miles per hour (about 114 kilometers).

5. One second before the accident, the vehicle involved in the accident was detected to have braked or made evasive turns.

After hitting the median strip in the middle of the road, the Tesla also collided with two other vehicles. According to on-site reports from the US news media on the day of the accident, the 400-volt high-voltage battery on board the car was damaged and quickly caught fire. Onlookers dragged the driver out of the rubble before the fire spread and rushed him to the hospital. Unfortunately, Walter Huang was pronounced dead shortly after receiving medical treatment.

The fire in the Tesla was put out by the fire department after burning for 10 minutes, but later that day, the static "ruins" caught fire again, and the cause of the fire was still the damage and leakage of the high-voltage battery.

According to the detailed analysis of the report, in this accident, the driver received a system alert 15 minutes before the accident, asking him to "keep his hands on the steering wheel". One minute before the accident, his hands stayed on the steering wheel for 34 seconds, but in the last six seconds before he hit the shock absorber and concrete guardrail on Highway 101 in Mountain View, California, the driver did not hold the steering wheel.

In addition, the report also shows that within three seconds before the collision on March 23, the speed of the vehicle involved accelerated from 62 miles per hour (about 99 kilometers) to nearly 71 miles per hour (about 114 kilometers), exceeding the speed limit of 65 miles per hour (about 105 kilometers). After analyzing the on-board system data of the vehicle involved, the vehicle's automatic cruise control was set to 75 miles per hour (about 120 kilometers) at the time.

What is even more incredible is that exactly five days after the accident, the high-voltage battery of the electric vehicle involved caught fire again, and the fire department had to dispatch police forces to put out the fire.

Tesla has refused to comment on the investigation report. In April this year, Tesla took the lead in issuing a statement on the "3.23" accident, but was questioned by the NTSB. The NTSB believes that the investigation into the fatal Model X accident may take 12 to 24 months, so during this period, Tesla cannot disclose information without authorization and needs to be reviewed and approved by the NTSB.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.