Federal probe launched into Comma.ai's hands-off driver aid after fatal crashes

The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened a federal case after five crashes were linked to Comma.ai’s aftermarket hands-off driver-assistance technology, openpilot. In each event the system did not react to slow-moving or stationary vehicles in the same lane, causing collisions that injured as many as 11 occupants across four accidents. Two of the incidents resulted in three fatalities, one of which appears to involve a 2022 Toyota RAV4 running a third-party fork of the software called FrogPilot, which struck a stopped first-responder vehicle in Ascension Parish, Louisiana.

The agency noted that some crashes may have involved altered versions of the code. Comma.ai, founded by hacker George Hotz in 2015, could not be reached for comment, and Hotz, who has distanced himself from day-to-day management since 2022, also did not respond. The company’s devices are marketed to retrofit modern cars with adaptive cruise control and lane-centering functions, but drivers are warned to stay ready to take manual control.