Federal safety board says Autopilot engaged in 2018 California Tesla crash

Federal investigators on Tuesday announced that it had determined that a Tesla Model S was in Autopilot mode when it struck a fire truck in California in 2018, Reuters reported.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said that the Autopilot system was engaged continuously for the final 13 minutes and 48 seconds of the trip before the crash.

{mosads}The driver’s hands were only on the wheel for 51 seconds of that trip portion, despite numerous alerts to place his hands back on it.

The incident with the parked fire truck is one of numerous involving Tesla’s autopilot system.

Investigators have found two accidents in Florida where Autopilot was engaged.

The company has maintained that the system is not a replacement for drivers and that drivers must be ready to intervene at all times.

The Hill has reached out to Tesla for comment on the NTSB’s findings.

Crashes involving the program has previously lead Tesla’s board to introduce new safety proposals.