Tesla FSD Crash Prompts CHP Warning on Autonomous Branding
AI-generated image · US National Wire
A driver claiming to be asleep while using Full Self-Driving crashed into patrol cars, highlighting a recurring gap between Tesla's marketing and system reality.
A Tesla driver who claimed to be asleep while utilizing the company's Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode crashed into California Highway Patrol (CHP) vehicles on I-80, according to reporting from The Verge.
Video released by the CHP shows the vehicle speeding past emergency lights, cones, and flares before striking a parked patrol car. The collision resulted in serious injuries to two CHP officers. In response to the incident, the CHP issued a warning that, despite the branding, Tesla's "full self-driving" is not fully autonomous and does not remove the driver's responsibility to operate the vehicle safely.
This incident follows a history of regulatory scrutiny regarding Tesla's driver-assist systems. The Verge reports that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an investigation into Autopilot in 2021 after multiple collisions with parked emergency vehicles. A subsequent NHTSA report found that the features failed to sufficiently keep drivers engaged, which the agency linked to dozens of deaths and hundreds of crashes.
While Tesla implemented an Autopilot update in 2023 to increase alerts and controls for drivers using Autosteer, the NHTSA has since opened a new investigation to determine if those modifications were adequate.