DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced the action Monday in a posting on its website.
The agency says it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic-Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles with flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, or cones warning of hazards.
According to the NHTSA, the accidents occurred after dark.
The Associated Press reported that 17 people were injured and one person was killed.
The probe covers 765,000 vehicles from the 2014 through 2021 model years.
The models include Models Y, X, S, and 3, the agency said.
Autopilot has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, who have been caught driving drunk or even riding in the back seat while a car rolled down a California highway.