Comma's hands-off driving tech under investigation after 2 fatal crashes

Comma.ai, the startup founded by George Hotz, is under federal investigation after five reported crashes involving its aftermarket hands-off driver assistance technology, two of which resulted in three deaths. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) found that the crashes involved Comma.ai devices failing to detect or respond to slow or stopped vehicles in the same road lane. The ODI also noted that some of the crashes may have involved modified versions of Comma.ai’s software. The company could not be reached for comment, and Hotz distanced himself from the startup’s day-to-day operations in 2022.

• Comma.ai’s devices are designed to control Adaptive Cruise Control and Automated Lane Centering systems, similar to Tesla Autopilot and GM Super Cruise.
• The company warns drivers that they must always be able to manually take control of the vehicle.
• The devices use a camera-based driver-monitoring system to detect distracted or sleepy drivers.
• The company’s website claims that "openpilot can steer, accelerate, and brake automatically for other vehicles within its lane."
• The two fatal crashes appear to have involved the use of "forked" or modified versions of Comma.ai’s software.

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