For crash investigators, one significant difference between the Williston crash and the one in Delray Beach was the ability to see images extracted from cameras that are part of the Autopilot system.
A series of photos included in the report provides a stark portrait of the crash circumstances — and a precise view of what Banner should have seen had he paid attention to the driving task.
At 6:17 a.m., the first hint of early-morning sunlight had just cracked the Florida darkness. Five seconds before impact, the big rig is visible, waiting to cross the highway from the driveway of Pero Family Farms on the right side of the road. Later, the truck’s driver told investigators he thought the vehicle in the right lane “flickered their lights,” which he interpreted as a signal that he could proceed.
Four seconds to impact, the truck begins moving. Three seconds beforehand, the truck begins encroaching on Banner’s lane. One second before impact, the tractor trailer is blocking all southbound lanes.
The truck driver, who described being able to “read with my right eye” and “see distance in my left eye” told investigators that he felt a “push” against the trailer, then got out to inspect it.
Beyond showcasing Banner’s inattention, caused by what the NTSB calls “automation complacency,” the images lay bare the operating limitations of the Autopilot system. Namely, that the system is not designed to detect cross traffic, even when an obstacle such as a tractor trailer is obvious to the naked eye.
Further, the driver did not receive a forward-collision warning alert and the automated emergency braking system did not activate. Tesla executives told the agency those systems are not designed to activate for crossing traffic or prevent crashes at high speeds.
“Complex or unusual vehicle shapes” can delay or prevent the automated emergency braking system from detecting objects, the company told NTSB investigators. The AEB system requires agreement between radar and cameras to identify a threat, and at no time was there a match in Banner’s Model 3.
The Delray Beach investigation marks the NTSB’s fourth into a crash involving Tesla Autopilot, following Williston, a fatal crash in Mountain View, Calif., and a January 2018 crash involving an inattentive Tesla driver who slammed into a parked fire truck with Autopilot engaged. No other Autopilot-related investigations are open at this time.
