NHTSA probes comma.ai over five crashes, three deaths

Comma.ai began as a project by George Hotz, who first modified his own Acura to give it a more advanced driver assist that let him take his hands off the wheel. He aimed to sell the system to Tesla and replace Mobileye as its supplier, but Mobileye dropped Tesla as a customer the following year. Comma's early attempts to sell plug-in devices ended once NHTSA began asking questions in 2016, leading the company to post its openpilot software and hardware plans on GitHub so anyone could build the devices. By 2020, its software and $999 device were rated more highly by Consumer Reports than any OEM system. The current investigation centers on five crashes into stopped or slow-moving cars, with three deaths and 11 injuries across four of the five. The stakes may hinge on whether investigators can establish a direct link between the devices and the crashes, which could affect how aftermarket driver-assist products are marketed and sold.