More details about the fatal Tesla Autopilot crash in May 2016 were released on Monday.
The National Transportation Safety Board began its investigation into the crash last July. While the probe is still underway, the agency has published about 500 pages of the data it had collected about the crash, including technical reports, transcripts, and images.
Here are some of the new details included in the report:
- There was no evidence that Joshua Brown, the driver of the Model S, was using his mobile phone or another electronic device when the crash occurred, as some initial reports suggested. During the last 41 minutes of Brown’s trip, the Model S was in Autopilot for 37.5 minutes. Brown had his hands off the wheel for a total of 37 minutes during the time the car was in Autopilot. The Model S displayed the visual warning “hold steering wheel” seven times during the trip. Six of those were followed by auditory warnings. The Model S was driving 74 mph on the highway when it was struck by a semitruck.
The crash occurred on May 7, 2016, in Williston, Florida.
Tesla said in a blog post published last June that the vehicle was driving down a divided highway when a white semitruck cut across the highway perpendicular to the Model S.
"Neither Autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied," Tesla said.
Tesla notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration immediately after the crash.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol's accident report, the semitruck was making a left turn at an intersection on the divided highway when it drove directly in front of the Model S driving in the opposite direction. The Model S passed underneath the truck.
The diagram below from the police report shows how the crash occurred:
While the NTSB has not yet made any conclusions about the cause of the crash, it is expected to share its findings and recommendations later.
The NHTSA in January ended its investigation into the crash and said it found no problem with how Autopilot operated.
A Tesla representative declined to comment on the reports and directed Business Insider to its past statements on the crash.