The driver of a 2021 Tesla Model S told authorities in California that the Full Self-Driving (FSD) software of the vehicle is to be blamed for the eight-car crash on the San Francisco Bay bridge last Thanksgiving, November 24.
According to the Tesla driver, the car was in FSD mode when the technology malfunctioned, causing the eight-vehicle pileup.
FSD Software of Tesla Vehicle Allegedly Malfunctioned
Based on the report obtained by CNN, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reviewed the footage of the accident and discovered that the Tesla vehicle had an unsafe lane change.
Afterward, it abruptly slows down from 55 mph to 20 mph. The sudden slowing down caused the vehicles behind it to crash into one another.
According to The Verge, the FSD software of the car allegedly malfunctioned, causing its sudden slowdown.
The Thanksgiving accident resulted in nine people with minor injuries, including a child that was hospitalized, as per Independent. The incident also caused major traffic delays in the area.
CHP said in the December 7 report said that it could not confirm yet whether FSD mode was active during the crash.
The crash is the latest in a series of accidents blamed on Tesla's FSD technology.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been heavily promoting the FSD software that he's selling as a $15,000 add-on to Tesla vehicles. However, the feature is facing legal, regulatory, and public scrutiny.
The eight-vehicle pileup happened just hours after Musk announced that Tesla would make FSD software available to anyone in North America who requested it.
Previously, the car company only offered the system to drivers having high safety scores.
According to the police report, if FSD indeed malfunctioned, the driver should have manually taken control of the vehicle, as per The Guardian.
The car company has repeatedly reminded drivers that its advanced self-driving technology still requires "active driver supervision." Likewise, it issued a disclaimer that the company's vehicles "are not autonomous."
Read Also: Tesla Autopilot Crash Explained: Elon Musk Denies FSD Issue in Fatal Accident, Reveals Data Logs
NHTSA is Investigating the Accident
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the incident along with several other accidents, such as the ones that occurred in California and Florida that were fatal. Another accident also occurred in Utah that killed a motorcyclist.
Meanwhile, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, Jennifer Homendy, has questioned whether "full self-driving" is an accurate description of the technology. Likewise, she said Tesla must make further efforts to prevent misuse.
What seems to be common in the incidents is the implication of Tesla's advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS), Autopilot, or the automaker's FSD software that performs a number of the same tasks as Autopilot.
Last year, the first reported crash alleging that FSD was in operation happened in a Model Y vehicle.
An NHTSA report for crashes earlier this year that involved vehicles with ADAS showed that Tesla topped the list.
According to Tesla, the responsibility for the safe operation of the vehicle running on Autopilot or FSD falls on the driver. However, critics say the company is just overstating the capability of the vehicle's features.
Related Article: NHTSA: Tesla Autopilot May Be the Culprit Behind Shocking Accident That Left 3 People Dead
