NHTSA Investigates Comma After Five Crashes Involving Aftermarket Self-Driving Kit

The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation said it is aware of five incidents involving Comma three, Comma 3X, Comma four and Openpilot. In some cases, vehicles reportedly struck stopped or slowly moving vehicles within the same travel lane. The office said one incident involved a vehicle reportedly using comma.ai products striking a first responder’s vehicle, and the resulting crash killed three.

“The investigation will obtain data to verify system status for each incident and evaluate system performance and safeguards that are intended to ensure safe operation of vehicles equipped with comma devices,” the Office of Defects Investigation said.

Comma sells a device that promises to add self-driving capabilities to more than 350 vehicle models from 27 automakers. The system pairs a small camera device mounted near the rear-view camera with a bespoke wiring harness that plugs into the On-board Diagnostics port of compatible vehicles. Comma then offers open source Openpilot software for the particular make and model, allowing the system to take over controls, according to the company and TechRadar.

The product began as a device that worked with a handful of vehicles from Acura and Honda and has grown into a community that has coded software for more than 350 models. Comma says more than 30,000 drivers are using Openpilot, with more than 402 million miles (650 million km) driven. The company was founded by George Hotz, who rose to notoriety after becoming one of the first to jailbreak Apple’s iOS and the PlayStation 3.

TechRadar noted that Comma’s homepage makes no clear mention that the driver must remain in control, instead advertising its device as delivering “hands-free driving for the car you already have.” In a review earlier this year, a TechRadar writer said the $1,000 device (around £750 / AU$1,430) was well worth the initial outlay, especially as Ford was charging $500 per year for its BlueCruise intelligent cruise control software at the time. But the reporter felt “very uneasy” about “random people on the internet” writing software that could control his car and said the operating system needed adjustment to keep his Ford F-150 Lightning from “ping-ponging” from one side of a lane to another. He nonetheless drove more than 1,000 miles with the Comma system and cancelled the Ford subscription, TechRadar said.

The investigation comes amid broader scrutiny of driver-assistance systems in the United States. TechRadar cited a recent NBC News investigation that surfaced 43 social media videos appearing to show Tesla drivers distracted or asleep at the wheel while Full Self-Driving was reportedly activated. Some industry groups believe companies such as Tesla have over-hyped self-driving capabilities, the report said.