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A TESLA THAT crashed while in autopilot mode in Utah this month accelerated in the seconds before it smashed into a stopped firetruck, according to a police report obtained by the Associated Press.
Two people were injured.
Data from the Model S electric vehicle show it picked up speed for 3.5 seconds before crashing into the firetruck in suburban Salt Lake City. The driver manually hit the brakes a fraction of a second before impact.
Police suggested that the car was following another vehicle and dropped its speed to 89 kph to match the leading vehicle. They say the leading vehicle then likely changed lanes and the Tesla automatically sped up to its preset speed of 97 kph without noticing the stopped cars ahead.
The police report, which was obtained last week through an open records request, provides detail about the vehicle’s actions immediately before the 11 May crash and the driver’s familiarity with its system.
The driver of the vehicle, Heather Lommatzsch (29), told police she thought the vehicle’s automatic emergency braking system would detect traffic and stop before the car hit another vehicle.
She said she owned the car for two years and used the semi-autonomous autopilot feature on all kinds of roadways, including the Utah highway where she crashed, according to the report.
No warnings
Lommatzsch said the car did not provide any audio or visual warnings before the crash. A witness told police she did not see signs that the car illuminated its brake lights or swerved to avoid the truck ahead of it.
Lommatzsch did not return a voicemail message seeking comment.
Tesla referred to a prior comment that drivers are continually reminded to keep their hands on the wheel and maintain control of their vehicle at all times while using the autopilot system.
“Tesla has always been clear that autopilot doesn’t make the car impervious to all accidents,” it said.
Police say car data show Lommatzsch did not touch the steering wheel for 80 seconds before the crash. She told police she was looking at her phone and comparing different routes to her destination.
She broke her foot in the crash and this week was charged with a traffic misdemeanour. Online court records do not show a solicitor listed for her.
The driver of the firetruck told police he had injuries consistent with whiplash but did not go to a hospital.
Tesla’s autopilot system uses cameras, ultrasonic sensors and radar to sense the vehicle’s surrounding environment and perform basic functions automatically.
Among those functions is automatic emergency braking, which the company says on its website is designed “to detect objects that the car may impact and applies the brakes accordingly”.
Tesla says the system is not designed to avoid a collision and warns drivers not to rely on it entirely.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has said it is investigating the 11 May crash.
Tesla reached a settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit alleging that it sold autopilot features that weren’t available and made its vehicles dangerous, according to court records last week by the US District Court in San Jose.
Autopilot
Neither Tesla nor Seattle lawyer Steve Berman, who represented the plaintiffs, would provide comment.
But Tesla said previously that since rolling out its second generation of autopilot, it has continued to update software leading to major improvements.
The company has said that it agreed to compensate customers who purchased autopilot and had to wait longer than expected to get all of its features.
Tesla’s autopilot has been the subject of previous scrutiny following other crashes involving the vehicles.
In March, a driver was killed when a Model X with autopilot engaged hit a barrier while traveling at “freeway speed” in California. NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating that case.
This week, Tesla said autopilot was not engaged when a Model S veered off a road and plunged into a pond outside San Francisco, killing the driver.
Earlier in May, the NTSB opened a probe into an accident in which a Model S caught fire after crashing into a wall at a high speed in Florida. Two 18-year-olds were trapped and died in the blaze. The agency has said it does not expect autopilot to be a focus in that investigation.
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So much for the stats that indicate that it is young males that are the problem drivers. It would be too expensive to put Gardai on the roads to stop them so go after low hanging fruit that you can identify from a desk.
Absolute BS. Fair play to Leo.
@Pato: Exactly, over-confidence combined with a lack of experience results in unnecessary risks being taken and an inability to react appropriately.
@Pat the Baker: That and driving like a madman
@Pato: we’re a low density country with lots of rural roads, policing them all is not a realistic option.
@Pato: He probably also knows we have a third world country public transport system and it would not be very practical.
@Pato: 75% of road deaths are not in the 18–25 category.
Why are comments open on this article, but not the prison one? Is it because we can’t upset the free legal aid gravy train? Hundreds of bad people out there, with hundreds of convictions wandering around terrorising normal decent people. How about instead of 45 million for a new jet, put it towards a new prison?
@paul ruddell: legal aid is worth peanuts ffs
@paul ruddell: a new prison would be welcome, ensuring that people serve their full sentences. It should be for recidivists, with first-time prisoners sent to the existing prisons and with all the reform budget concentrated on them. If somebody keeps offending, the only answer from a societal point of view is to keep rhem locked up.
Free legal aid needs to be reformed too. Give everybody two ‘tickets,’ if they use them up, they should represent themselves after that.
I think I ‘d rather meet a septuagenarian me than a twenty something me driving on a wet dark night….
@Mike Finnegan: Depends on the context really, circumstance, etc. Put a dragon in the story, entertaining like.
It seems reasonable to have ongoing assessment after a certain age. Old people carry a stigma with regards to acuity though so some actual stats on road safety with regards to seniors would be handy. I could be wrong have a feeling we’re focusing on the wrong age profile.
@Louis Jacob: I would say that there are issues with young male drivers acuity or those whose ability is impaired due to drugs and alcohol.
@Louis Jacob: we have to ban or define the word “old” when referring to humans ..” seniors”is a more respectful word but when exactly is one a senior? Is it when one receives the state pension? Currently at 66 but heading up to 70 years asap.Live long #Live healthy but forget age#
Of course he’s not.Thems the voting folk!!
@Johnny King: I actually agree with him. Why force an elderly person off the road if they are still mentally and physically able, and pass an assessment to show they can still drive.
@Jason Ebbs: I actually do agree too.Just trying to get in there with the first smart ar!e comment to be honest!
In fact the older I get the more I respect older people and dislike them younger people.
@Johnny King: Respecting older people is good but please extend to younger people also…just finding their way on our treacherous roads..They will be good drivers some day if they live long enough
Cognitive and knowledge tests should be compulsory for everyone renewing their licence, regardless of age.
SF are still going to be the largest party and lead the next govt no matter how many articles you have about 5th count Leo & FG, must be the 5th article so far.
@9QRixo8H: if Sinn Fein want to lead the next government they will have to run more candidates and have them elected on fifth and sixth counts. Even Mary Lou acknowledged that “heading the poll” cost them seats last time out.
@9QRixo8H: The largest party? Larger than the ‘FFG’ we hear so much about?
@Mike Finnegan: Currently we have Socialist led govts in France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, Norway, and soon it will be England and Ireland.
@Brendan O’Brien: Check any of the opinion polls to see which party is the largest support party by the majority in Ireland. Would you like me to link you to one?
@9QRixo8H: SF is essentially a one-issue, no-wing party that has tacked on some ‘left-wing’ policies it thinks might be popular. It is no deep beliefs (apart from believing that the border is a bad thing) and is more nationalist/populist than socialist, although it’s to its credit that it hasn’t jumped on any anti-migrant bandwagon.
@9QRixo8H: no argument with you. I was only referring to their mistake in strategy in last election.
@9QRixo8H: My point is that if people claim (as SF supporters often do) that FF and FG are essentially one party, that’s the biggest and most popular party (as your opinion poll will show).
@Brendan O’Brien: They were all single-issue parties. FF was for framers, FG for corporate elites, Labour for workers, SocDems for workers, Aontu is male reproductive controls, far-right for eradicating minorities/human rights… Who would you vote for?
Easy fix,tell them to fu%k off,and leave the elderly alone,been driving for 45 years without an accident.
Varadkar was not voted into this job he’s doing he did not get the numbers joke of a country
@sleepy joe: educate yourself on our voting system. Your opinion does not equate to fact.
@Paul C: you go to bed it’s late
@Con Rafferty: yes she will
@sleepy joe: you’re like a broken record
Pen pushers trying their best to come up with ideas to make everybody’s life as difficult as possible…
We should totally have a medical at 70 plus a smaller test, people deteriorate rapidly with eyesight and reactions.
No politician would ever go for it though as he’d instantly lose a majority of his over 70s voters.
I know a few people over 70 who shouldn’t be on the road but drive everyday.
@Drin Pog: I know a lot of people under 70 that shouldn’t be on the road that drive every, I also observe people every day on our roads I don’t know under 70 that drive recklessly, go through red lights, brake speed limits, use their mobile phone while driving and are nothing but a dangerous hindrance on our road to others including the over 70s.
@Drin Pog: I have a friend who just stopped driving at 92. The persons doctor said person had no cognitive issues. Nothing to do with age has to do with ability to drive.
@Drin Pog: Seniors defined here as people 70+ usually drive to their local town/ shops and use trains planes and buses to go further afield. They are amongst the safest drivers out there not on speed or coke as far as i know?
Absolute bs sure over 70s need their cars to get to work!
Everyone regardless of age should have to do 3 certified refresher lessons before renewing a license. No pass or fail, just mandatory refresher lessons before a license can be renewed.
@Martin O Connell: how about applying that to anybody gathering 6 speeding penalty points in any 2 year period and leave the law abiding safe drivers alone to get on with their safe driving
@Martin O Connell: I disagree, those who built this country and are driving safely and for years shouldn’t have to go through the same hoops as some young fella driving like a lunatic on a back country road to get somewhere 1 minute quicker
@Gerry Ryan: spot on, don’t paint the age or any group in the same category, 9 points re take the test,
A test to see if they are still fit to drive is so far from a restriction, if they are still able to drive safely then they should have no problem passing a test
@he didnt take the 120k because he already got it s: You could say that about any age group, young men for example, many of whom are terrorists on the road
@Louis Jacob: exactly, if it was up to me id have everyone resit a test on licence renewal every 10years, test is a joke though needs a complete overhaul to include driving at night and driving in the rain
This get together have been nothing but an electioneering event to saturate the media with feel good titbits aimed at their targeted voters
@Con Rafferty: this isn’t an ard fheis mate
Definitely we should apply that, older people need to be regularly cheched by independent doctor or someone. Not just known one, I have seen several old people passing NCT like go to the door and after 3 min got new cert, without even passing the line, while i was waiting my car to be passed. Same they got permission to drive from friend GP. And at the end we have no roadworthy car with no roadworthy drivers. We much accept that eu rule
@Eugene Sol: I didn’t know old people had to pass a nct, I thought it was their cars
@Eugene Sol: Don’t worry Eugene it was just a bad dream! you really are ok
Ridiculous to add age limits and stuff. Some 80 year olds are much better drivers than 19 year olds, just because they aren’t breaking speed limits doesn’t mean they’re incompetent.
Varadkar is more in favour of drivers being assessed on their cognitive and physical ability rather than age.That should remove most of these incompetent 70 plus year olds off the roads.
@Gerry Lamont: Just to be clear on the point you’re making.
Are you applying this to pedestrian 70 year olds too?
Sure over 70s need their cars to get to work!
Euzilla Von Der Crazy is at it again. Unelected, unmanaged coupled with a federalist schizophrenia leaves us with this BS. Time to leave the EU. Food prices show the EU has failed us. The game is up.
@Peter Murray: fair to say the EU has been ran arseways for some time now to be fair soon they’re will be more non nationals in EU than EU citizens which I thought was the whole idea to begin with, people within EU would benefit from being in it not everyone outside of it entering it hard to see overall benefits fully long term when faced with housing and overloaded health problems and growing aging population many pension problems ahead also finding wise which supposedly are a myth to those in power
@Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh: what has that to do with over 70s driving.
Basically what he is saying that with an election coming up he wouldn’t do it but if voted in again he would. Bad idea to go after pensioner’s before an election.
Serious note, my dad renewed his licence last year. He is 76 can barely walk among other ailments and he still got it. It’s a joke! I wouldn’t get in to the car with him he is lethal.
@Gearld Stapleton: He’s using wheels because his legs won’t( will not) take him where he needs to go..Smart man..
Of course he isn’t, that would be leadership!
No one cares what he’s in favour him,FF or cabbage head at this stage all they’re in favour of is increasing homelessness and hospital waiting lists due to overloading from immigration as Irish birth rate has been dropping for years as quite obviously people see they cannot afford children like Japan and China has become and government there is panicking not our idiots we’ll just increase immigration without housing or health great plan.
All drivers should do refresher courses, insane amount of poor drivers out there who don’t know the rules or obey them.
Nanny state
@ Martin Mongan, according to 2016 independent article it was at 47 million a year. I’d say it’s gone up a bit since. What job have you got, that makes that peanuts? Any suggestions of what to do with people with 200+ convictions or ya just here to knock ideas?
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