Tesla Model X in California crash sped up to 71mph seconds before impact
US National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the March 23 crash showing that the driver’s hands were detected on the steering wheel only 34 seconds during the last minute before impact
The Tesla Inc. Model X that crashed in California while being guided by its semi-autonomous driving system sped up to 71 miles an hour (114 kilometres an hour) in the seconds before the vehicle slammed into a highway barrier, investigators said Thursday.
US National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report on the March 23 crash showing that the driver’s hands were detected on the steering wheel only 34 seconds during the last minute before impact.
The investigation is the latest to shine a spotlight into potential flaws in emerging autonomous driving technology.
Walter Huang, a 38-year-old engineer who worked at Apple Inc., died in Mountain View, California, in the March 23 crash when his Model X struck a highway barrier as he was using the driver-assistance system known as Autopilot.
The car’s computer didn’t sense his hands on the steering wheel for six seconds before the collision, according to NTSB.