Tesla Driver Claims He Was Asleep with FSD Engaged During Collision with Highway Patrol Vehicles

After a serious incident involving a Tesla driver who claimed to have been asleep while using the driver assist feature, the California Highway Patrol has issued a warning: “Despite its name, full self-driving is not fully autonomous. Technology does not relieve drivers of their responsibility to safely operate their vehicles.”

Footage released by the CHP shows the Tesla speeding past flares, cones, and emergency lights at the scene of a previous accident before crashing into a parked patrol car. The CHP reported that two officers sustained serious injuries and were transported to a hospital.

In response to multiple collisions with stationary emergency vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating Tesla’s Autopilot software in 2021. Their findings indicated that the driver-assist features did not sufficiently engage drivers, contributing to hundreds of crashes and numerous fatalities when both the system and the driver failed to react.

In 2023, Tesla rolled out an update for Autopilot that introduced additional controls and alerts to ensure drivers maintain full control of the vehicle while Autosteer is active. However, this prompted NHTSA to initiate another investigation to determine if these modifications were adequate.