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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 20 March 2020
NTSB blames drivers, Tesla, lax regulations in Florida crash

By TOM KRISHER was detected on the steer-
DETROIT (AP) — The Na- ing wheel in the 7.7 sec-
tional Transportation Safety onds before the crash, the
Board says two drivers, Tesla report said.
and lax regulation of new Tesla told the NTSB that the
partially automated driving driver wasn't warned about
systems are to blame for a not having his hands on the
fatal 2019 crash in Florida wheel "because the ap-
involving a Tesla on Auto- proximate 8-second dura-
pilot. tion was too short to trig-
The NTSB, in a report issued ger a warning under the
Thursday, said the design of circumstances," the report
the Autopilot system con- said.
tributed to the crash be- The NTSB's report said Au-
cause it allowed the Tesla topilot wasn't designed
driver to avoid paying at- to work in areas with cross
tention. Tesla also failed to traffic, yet Tesla allows driv-
limit where Autopilot can ers to use it under those
be used, allowing drivers to circumstances. Tesla told
activate it in areas it wasn't the NTSB that forward col-
designed for, the report lision warning and auto-
said. matic emergency braking
The board, which investi- systems on the Model 3 in
gates crashes and makes This Oct. 3, 2018, file photo shows the logo of Tesla Model 3 at the Auto show in Paris. the Delray Beach crash
safety recommendations, Associated Press weren't designed to acti-
also took the unusual step vate for crossing traffic or
of accusing the govern- the 50-year-old driver of a overreliance on Tesla's Au- that all commercially avail- to prevent crashes at high
ment's National Highway Tesla Model 3. The car was topilot and the operational able vehicles require hu- speeds.
Traffic Safety Administra- traveling 69 miles per hour design of Tesla's Autopilot man drivers to stay in con- "According to Tesla, the
tion of contributing to the (111 kilometers per hour) have led to tragic conse- trol at all times. Autopilot vision system did
crash. The agency failed when neither the driver quences," NTSB Chairman The Delray Beach crash not consistently detect and
to make sure automakers nor the Autopilot system Robert Sumwalt said in a was remarkably similar to track the truck as an object
put safeguards in place to braked or tried to avoid statement. one in 2016 in Williston, Flori- or threat as it crossed the
limit use of electronic driv- a tractor-trailer that was At a hearing last month da, which also killed a Tesla path of the car," the report
ing systems to areas where crossing in its path on U.S. on a California fatal crash, driver. said.
they are designed to work, 441 around 6:17 a.m. The board members were frus- In the Delray Beach crash, A message was left Thurs-
the report said. car struck the trailer, whose trated that safety recom- the driver turned on the day seeking comment from
The report was another driver the report cited for mendations from previous car's adaptive cruise con- Tesla, which warns in own-
case of sparring between turning in front of the Tesla. Tesla Autopilot crashes had trol system, which keeps it a ers manuals that Autopilot
the two federal agencies The trailer sheared off the been ignored by Tesla, and set distance from vehicles is designed for use on lim-
over regulating new elec- Tesla's roof. The truck driver that NHTSA has not taken of ahead of it, 12.3 seconds ited access highways with
tronic driver-assist technol- was not hurt. action on its recommenda- before impact, the NTSB no cross traffic. The com-
ogy, which NHTSA so far "The Delray Beach investi- tions. found. Autosteer, which pany also says Autopilot is
has been reluctant to do. gation marks the third fatal NHTSA referred to a previ- keeps the car centered in a driver-assist system and
The March 1, 2019, crash in vehicle crash we have in- ous statement that it will re- its lane, was turned on 2.4 that drivers must be ready
Delray Beach, Florida, killed vestigated where a driver's view the NTSB's report and seconds later. No pressure to intervene at all times.q

Coronavirus baby boom another curve that could be flattened

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — of the state enters shut- wide stretches of isolation nization on Wednesday ers weren't limited to just
Millions of romantic part- down mode because of at home sometimes results encouraged patients to birth control pills, either.
ners, cooped up together the coronavirus pandemic. in a boom in births nine make use of PPDirect, an Planned Parenthood of
for weeks or months, with That includes extending months later. Such a bump app that connects them to Southeastern Pennsylva-
little to do other than watch birth control services for happened in Maine and a provider via video so they nia alerted patients via its
reruns and play board three months, the nonprofit New Hampshire after the can get birth control pills website that birth control
games. A recipe for a baby Maine Family Planning said. 1998 ice storm that shut without setting foot outside. patches and the NuvaR-
boom, right? Other family planning non- down parts of the North- The app is available in more ing were also available via
Not so fast, say America's profits elsewhere across the east. than two dozen states. online appointments. The
family planning providers. country are taking similar Similar baby bumps have "We remain committed to organization, like many
They're fine with folks dim- steps, Maine Family Plan- happened after events delivering compassionate, health care providers, was
ming the lights, but they ning vice president of pro- such as hurricanes that re- non-judgmental reproduc- instructing patients with
also want to dim any hopes gram services Evelyn Kiel- quired partners to remain tive and sexual health care symptoms of coronavirus
of a population spike. tyka said. cooped up alone for long to all who need it while to use the online services or
In chilly and home-bound "We wanted to accommo- stretches of time. we take proactive mea- reschedule appointments.
Maine, for example, one date our patients. For wom- Planned Parenthood, the sures to stay as far ahead Maine Family Planning and
of the state's key providers en and families, there's al- biggest provider of repro- of COVID-19 as possible," other family planning pro-
of family planning services ready enough anxiety, so ductive health services in said Meagan Gallagher, viders are also stepping up
is taking steps to make sure the idea that you can't get the country, is also doing chief executive officer of efforts to offer more tele-
patients don't see an in- access to birth control is just more to make sure access Planned Parenthood of health services and pro-
terruption in birth control too much," he said. to birth control is easy amid Northern New England. vide more birth control via
prescriptions while much Unexpected population- the pandemic. The orga- Services offered by provid- mail.q