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USA | May 10, 2021

Automated steering ‘not available’ on Texas road where Tesla crashed -NTSB

/ Our Today

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The remains of a Tesla vehicle are seen after it crashed in The Woodlands, Texas, April 17, 2021, in this still image from video obtained via social media. Video taken April 17, 2021. (Photo: SCOTT J. ENGLE via REUTERS)

WASHINGTON (Reuters)

United States (US) safety officials investigating the cause of a Tesla Model S crash that killed two men in Texas last month said today (May 10) that testing suggested the vehicle’s automated steering system was “not available” on the road where the accident occurred.

But the car’s cruise-control function could still have been in operation, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said in its preliminary report.

The report drew no conclusions about the cause and circumstances of the fiery April 17 crash in a suburb of Houston. The NTSB and local police are still investigating.

NO ONE IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT

Local police have said they believed the crash occurred with no one in the driver’s seat, raising questions about Tesla’s driver-assistance systems.

The NTSB said footage from the owner’s home security cameras showed the owner entering the driver’s seat and the passenger entering the front passenger seat.

The accident has raised fresh questions about the safety of Tesla Inc’s ‘Autopilot’ system. Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said last month Autopilot could not have been engaged in the vehicle involved in the Texas crash.

Tesla shares fell 6.4 per cent to close at US$629.04 on Monday.

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Elon Musk National Transportation Safety Board Tesla Tesla Model S Texas

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