Below are our completed investigations that involved a vehicle being operated by an automation system at the time of the crash. Each describes the examined issues, and links to the investigation page with the crash description, probable cause and links to the docket and relevant documents.
Completed Investigations
See investigations involving:
Production-level vehicle with partial automation:
Collision Between a Car Operating With Automated Vehicle Control Systems and a Tractor-Semitrailer Truck
Williston, FL | May 7, 2016
This was the first fatal crash in the United States involving a vehicle operating in a partial automation mode at the time of the crash. We examined these safety issues:
- automation system capabilities and limitations,
- driver automation overreliance, and
- data recording requirements.
For more information:
Rear-End Collision Between a Car Operating with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems and a Stationary Fire Truck
Culver City, CA | January 22, 2018
This non-fatal crash involved a vehicle operating in partial automation mode that crashed into the back of a stopped fire truck partially blocking the travel lane. We examined these safety issues:
- the limitations of the partial automation system,
- the method of monitoring driver engagement, and
- driver distraction and automation overreliance.
For more information:
Collision Between Car Operating with Partial Driving Automation and Truck-Tractor Semitrailer
Delray Beach, FA | March 1, 2019
This fatal crash involved a vehicle operating in partial automation mode that struck the trailer of a combination vehicle crossing a state highway, in a sequence that closely resembles the Williston crash. We examined these safety issues:
- the limitations of the partial automation system,
- the method of monitoring driver engagement, and
- automation overreliance.
For more information:
- Video report that examines information from the vehicle’s forward camera
- the capabilities of the developmental ADS,
- the shuttle’s operational procedures, and
- the process by which the testing was designed and approved.
For more information:
- Vehicle automation report that describes the structural organization and functional capabilities of the system, and also examines crash-related data
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Video report that describes the information from the shuttle’s cameras
Collision Between Vehicle Controlled by Developmental Automated Driving System and Pedestrian
Tempe, AZ | March 18, 2018
This fatal crash involved a test vehicle controlled by a developmental automated driving system (ADS) and occupied by a safety driver, striking a pedestrian walking a bicycle across a roadway. We examined these safety issues:
- the capabilities and limitations of the developmental ADS,
- the testing operational procedures, oversight of the safety driver,
- the overall company safety culture, and
- the state and federal policies regarding ADS testing.
For more information:
- Go to the investigation page for links to the docket, final report and board meeting material
Download:
- Vehicle automation report that describes the system design perceptual processes and examines crash-related data
- Video report that describes information from the vehicle’s forward and driver-facing cameras
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Operations reports that describes the organization’s structure, including its safety departments
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