Tesla’s Autopilot handles some driving tasks and allows drivers to keep their hands off the wheel for extended periods. Tesla says Autopilot enables vehicles to steer, accelerate and brake automatically within their lane.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
On Saturday, the Florida Highway Patrol said a Florida trooper who had stopped to assist a disabled motorist on a major highway was struck by a Tesla.
The Florida Highway Patrol said a Tesla in Autopilot mode struck the patrol car. “Trooper was outside of car and extremely lucky to have not been struck,” the agency said in a tweet.
NHTSA said earlier it had reports of 17 injuries and one death in the 11 crashes, including the December 2019 crash of a Tesla Model 3 that left a passenger dead after the vehicle collided with a parked fire truck in Indiana.
Tesla in July introduced an option for some customers to subscribe to its advanced driver-assistance software, dubbed “Full Self-Driving capability.” Tesla says the current features “do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
