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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 18 January 2020
U.S. agency examining Tesla unintended acceleration complaint

By TOM KRISHER find out whether the Tesla
AP Auto Writer complaints had common
DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. elements, including park-
government's auto safety ing or making turns at low
agency is looking into alle- speeds.
gations that all three of Tes- In another crash, in May of
la's electric vehicle models 2013, the owner of a Model
can suddenly accelerate S sedan in Thousand Oaks,
on their own. California, complained that
Brian Sparks of Berkeley, while pulling into a parking
California, petitioned the spot, the car suddenly ac-
National Highway Traffic celerated on its own.
Safety Administration ask- The Model S went over a
ing for an investigation. An parking block and a curb
agency document shows and struck a cement light
127 owner complaints to post. The air bags inflated,
the government that in- but no one was hurt, the
clude 110 crashes and 52 complaint said.
injuries. Three weeks after the
The agency said it will look crash, the owner got a let-
into allegations that cover ter from Tesla saying that
about 500,000 Tesla ve- the accelerator was de-
hicles including Model 3, pressed to 48% just before
Model S and Model X vehi- This Sept. 30, 2016, file photo shows the logo of the Tesla model S at the Paris Auto Show in Paris, the crash and 98% at the
cles from the 2013 through France. time of impact. The owner
2019 model years. The Associated Press still believes the car accel-
agency's investigations of- Haute, Indiana, to probe Some of the unintended in San Clemente, Califor- erated by itself, the com-
fice will evaluate the peti- two fatal crashes. Another acceleration complaints, nia, told NHTSA that in No- plaint stated.
tion and decide if it should crash in Connecticut also is which have yet to be veri- vember of 2018, a Model Anyone can petition NHT-
open a formal probe. under investigation. fied by NHTSA, allege that X SUV accelerated on its SA to investigate an auto
"I am concerned that Frank Borris, a former head the cars' electronics mal- own to full power during a safety problem, and the
these complaints reflect a of safety defect investiga- functioned. U-Turn on a city street. The agency said in a statement
systemic defect that has tions for NHTSA, said the In his 69-page petition, driver had a foot on the Friday that it encourages
not been investigated by number of complaints cit- Sparks analyzed the com- brake, but the SUV accel- people to report concerns.
NHTSA," Sparks wrote to ed in the petition is unusual plaints to NHTSA and de- erated in a fraction of a In the other Tesla crashes
James Owens, the acting and warrants further inves- termined that many of the second, according to the that NHTSA is investigating,
NHTSA administrator. "I am tigation. crashes happened while complaint. The driver al- authorities are trying to de-
also concerned that these "The sheer number of com- drivers were parking the leged that something in termine whether the cars
potential defects represent plaints would certainly Teslas. He compared Tesla's Tesla's system "triggered were operating on Autopi-
risk to the safety of Tesla catch my eye," said Borris, unintended acceleration the sudden spontaneously lot, a system designed to
drivers, their passengers, who now runs an auto safe- complaint rate to other ve- full acceleration, resulting keep a car in its lane and
and the public." ty consulting business. hicles and found Tesla's to in this collision." a safe distance from other
Messages were left Friday Tesla owners communicate be much higher. The SUV hit a parked ve- vehicles. Autopilot also can
seeking comment from with other owners on Inter- Many of the reports, Sparks hicle, the air bags inflated change lanes on its own.
Tesla. net forums and social me- wrote, show that Tesla has and the owner had a large Separately, the Nation-
NHTSA is already investigat- dia, and that could influ- refused to share data with abdominal bruise and sev- al Transportation Safety
ing three December crash- ence the number of com- vehicle owners after an un- eral small chest bruises, ac- Board will hold a hearing
es involving Tesla vehicles plaints, he said. intended acceleration in- cording to the complaint. Feb. 25 on a fatal crash in
in which three people were He said the timing of the cident. "It is clear that Tesla People who file complaints Mountain View, California,
killed. The agency's special petition is good, because has the data and is aware with NHTSA are not identi- involving a Tesla that was
crash investigations unit the agency needs to do of the problem," Sparks fied in the agency's data- operating on the compa-
sent teams to Gardena, a "deeper dive" into Tesla wrote. base. ny's Autopilot driver assist
California, and near Terre safety. In one complaint, an owner The driver asked NHTSA to system.q

Plane slides off taxiway in icy weather as storm hits U.S.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — spokeswoman Martha Witt. were canceled, likely dis- conditions come after the sas, where freezing rain was
A plane slid off an icy taxi- There were no reports of rupting travel plans for fans National Weather Service expected Friday.
way at Kansas City Interna- injuries aboard the Airbus of the Tennessee Titans issued winter weather ad- In South Dakota and Min-
tional Airport on Friday as a A319, which was carrying flying into Kansas City for visories, saying the storm nesota, dozens of schools
sprawling winter storm hits 123 passengers and a crew Sunday’s AFC champion- will create hazardous travel canceled classes Friday
large sections of the Mid- of six. Witt said the airline ship game with the Chiefs, conditions from the Plains ahead of snowfall expect-
west and beyond, leading was trying to put passen- KCTV reported. Lambert into the Northeast through ed during the day.
to the closure of schools, gers from Delta flight 1114 lnternational Airport in St. the weekend. Snow is In Kansas Gov. Laura Kel-
universities and govern- on other planes. Louis reported more than forecast over much of the ly closed state offices in
ment offices. The airport was closed 130 flights canceled as of Great Lakes, with a blizzard the Topeka area, urging
The Delta Air Lines flight and numerous flights were noon Friday and Ameri- warning for parts of the Up- people in a news release
was taxiing to be de-iced canceled in the morning can Airlines suspended all per Midwest. The winter to “stay safe and warm,
before flying to Detroit but flights resumed about flights to Missouri’s Colum- weather advisory extend- exercise caution and al-
when the nosegear slipped noon. Most Friday flights bia Regional Airport until ed south into western Okla- low road crews to do their
off the taxiway, said Delta from Nashville, Tennessee, noon Saturday. The slippery homa and northern Arkan- job.”q