NTSB places blame on both driver and tech in fatal Tesla crash

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made its final determinations on the cause of the fatal Tesla Model S crash that took place in Florida in May of last year. In a report set to be released in the next few days, the NTSB concludes that the accident was the fault of both drivers and has issued a series of recommendations to the Department of Transportation (DOT), the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), manufacturers of Level 2 automated driving systems, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers and Global Automakers. The report's findings state that while the driver of the truck failed to yield the right of way to the Tesla driver, the latter was too heavily reliant on the car's automated system, which is the likely reason he did not try to avoid the oncoming collision. Data from the Autopilot system show that the Tesla driver's use pattern reflects a lack of understanding regarding the system's limitations -- which the NTSB says need to be configured to restrict themselves in order to prevent misuse. The Tesla Autopilot system monitored the driver's attention through his interaction with the steering wheel, which previous findings have determined was incredibly limited.