NHTSA probes comma.ai systems after five crashes

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating comma.ai driver-assistance devices after identifying five crashes in which vehicles using them struck slow-moving or stopped vehicles.

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation says two crashes resulted in three deaths, while four involved 11 injuries, some serious. The agency is assessing whether the systems can detect vehicles in their path and which software versions were running.

At least two crashes involved vehicles hitting stopped cars. One involved a first responder’s vehicle and killed three people. Another crash involved a vehicle that was merging, according to the source.

NHTSA is also examining software variants: at least two crashes involved forks of openpilot’s main build. The fatal crash cited in the report involved FrogPilot.

Comma.ai’s openpilot software and hardware augment driver-assistance features in some vehicles. The company says its current device supports more than 325 models across 27 brands; the report says more than 30,000 drivers use openpilot and have driven over 402 million miles.

The evaluation is preliminary. The available information does not establish that a defect in a comma.ai device or software caused any of the crashes.