Comma AI’s Hands-Off Driving Tech Faces NHTSA Probe After Fatal Crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary investigation on September 21 into devices made by Comma AI. Regulators said vehicles equipped with the devices struck slow-moving or stopped vehicles in their lanes. According to the Office of Defects Investigation, five reported crashes involved 11 injuries and three deaths.

NHTSA said preliminary data suggests the Comma system may not have adequately detected or responded to in-lane vehicles. The investigation is also expected to look at what software was running during each crash, including whether modified versions of Comma AI’s open-source software were involved.

The software and hardware named in the investigation include comma three, comma 3X, comma four, and OpenPilot. Comma AI sells an aftermarket device intended to add driver-assistance features to cars people already own, with support for more than 325 car models.

The company’s website says the system can steer, accelerate, and brake, and says it “can drive for hours without intervention.” It also tells drivers to stay alert and ready to take control at any time, and includes a driver-monitoring system that alerts when it detects distraction.

The probe focuses on crashes involving vehicles that were slow-moving or stopped in the same lane. One crash described in NHTSA reporting appears to match a February Louisiana incident in which a Toyota RAV4 hit an unoccupied police vehicle stopped in a highway lane with emergency lights on, killing two passengers in the Toyota; police did not identify the driving software in their account.

Comma AI’s own support information lists stationary vehicles in the same lane among conditions that can affect OpenPilot’s adaptive cruise control. That makes detection and response to stopped vehicles a key issue for drivers, regulators, and companies developing driver-assistance systems.

Comma AI is not the only company facing scrutiny over automated or driver-assistance systems. NHTSA investigated Tesla’s Autopilot in 2021 and said Teslas using the system struck vehicles stopped at first-responder scenes. There is also an open investigation into Waymo after a vehicle struck a child near a school in Santa Monica.

In July, NHTSA issued a broader warning to driverless-vehicle developers about vehicles entering emergency scenes or blocking ambulances and firefighters. Comma AI did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.