Automotive
US opens defect probe into Comma.ai after two fatal collisions
Federal investigators are reviewing Comma.ai driver assist devices following five collisions, according to TechCrunch.
The short version
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation opened an inquiry into Comma.ai aftermarket driver assistance systems following five reported crashes.[TechCrunch]
- The crashes resulted in three deaths and left up to 11 people injured, with some sustaining serious harm.[TechCrunch]
- Investigators noted the devices allegedly failed to detect or react to stationary or slow vehicles in the same lane.[TechCrunch]
- Regulators noted some incidents, including a fatal crash, may have involved modified third-party software forks.[TechCrunch]
Key facts
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation is probing Comma.ai driver assistance technology over five reported crashes.[TechCrunch]
- Two of the reported crashes caused three deaths, and four crashes injured as many as 11 individuals.[TechCrunch]
- The safety agency reported that the systems failed to identify or respond to slow or stopped vehicles in the same travel lane.[TechCrunch]
- A February 2026 crash in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, involved a Toyota RAV4 running the FrogPilot software fork that struck an unoccupied police vehicle, killing two passengers.[TechCrunch]
What remains uncertain
- Federal officials have not confirmed whether modified or forked software was definitively responsible for the crashes, noting only that some incidents may have involved modified versions.[TechCrunch]
- The specific identity and circumstances of the second fatal crash could not be immediately determined from regulatory report numbers.[TechCrunch]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.