Tesla criticised for releasing fatal crash data

Investigators examining a fatal accident involving a Tesla Model X have criticised the electric car firm for releasing data of the crash to the public.

A spokesperson for the US watchdog the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) told The Washington Post it was “unhappy” that details of the incident had been disclosed while the investigation was ongoing.

In response, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk tweeted: “Lot of respect for NTSB, but NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) regulates cars, not NTSB, which is an advisory body.”

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“Tesla releases critical crash data affecting public safety immediately & always will. To do otherwise would be unsafe,” he added.

In a blogpost on Friday, the electric car company said the Model X’s self-driving Autopilot system had been enabled when the accident occurred in Mountain View, California, on 23 March.

Tesla added that the driver, Apple engineer Walter Huang, who died in the crash, “received several visual and one audible hands-on warning” before colliding with a barrier on highway 101.

However, ABC7 reports that Huang had warned Tesla that his Model X had veered towards the same barrier “on multiple occasions”.

While Autopilot can maintain cruising speeds and “automatically change lanes under certain conditions”, Tesla specifies drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times and be “ready to take control back”, Engadget reports.

If drivers take their hands off the wheel, Autopilot gives several warnings “before disengaging”, it adds.