Sometimes it rains, sometimes it pours. But, Tesla is facing a storm of controversy over its cars striking emergency vehicles while using the company’s Autopilot system. The latest incident happened early Saturday in Florida when a Tesla hit a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) cruiser parked during a roadside assistance stop. The event occurred days after the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a broad investigation into the issue.
Tesla Strikes FHP Cruiser And A Mercedes
According to FHP statements and local news reports, a 2019 Tesla Model 3 was traveling on Interstate 4 near Orlando with the Autopilot feature engaged (based on what the driver told officers on the scene) when it struck both an FHP Dodge Charger and a disabled Mercedes-Benz GLK.
An FHP tweet remarked, “Trooper was outside of the car and extremely lucky to have not been stuck. #moveover.” No fatalities or injuries were reported. An investigation is still underway, and there is no official word if the Autopilot system contributed to or was the direct cause of the incident.
Bad Timing For Tesla
But, the accident couldn’t have occurred at a worse time for Tesla. The NHTSA examination will explore Autopilot-related accidents allegedly responsible for at least one fatality and seventeen injuries.
A NHTSA statement comments, "A preliminary evaluation starts the agency's fact-finding mission and allows additional information and data to be collected—in this case about Tesla Autopilot." The agency adds, “Specifically, this investigation stems from 11 separate crashes beginning in 2018, in which various Tesla models crashed where first responders were active, including some that crashed directly into the vehicles of first responders.”
Senators Complain About Tesla To Federal Trade Commission
Adding to Tesla’s pain is the recent announcement by two Democratic Senators—Connecticut’s Richard Blumental and Massachusetts’ Ed Markey—requesting the U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigate the company’s potentially deceptive and unfair practices in Tesla’s advertising and marketing…” of Autopilot and the Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.
“Tesla has been overstating, vastly and falsely overstating the capabilities of its Autopilot system,” remarks Blumental in a television interview.
Tesla charges a one-time $10,000 fee or a $199 monthly subscription to activate FSD on eligible vehicles. Existing Teslas with the now-discontinued Enhanced Autopilot can add FSD for $99 per month.
Sources: Florida Highway Patrol, WKMG TV, Tesla.