NHTSA probes Comma.ai driver-assist tech after fatal crashes left three dead

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said in September 2026 that it had opened a federal probe into Comma.ai's aftermarket hands-off driver assistance technology after five reported crashes, including two fatal incidents that killed three people. Up to 11 people were injured in four of the crashes, some seriously.

The ODI said the crashes involved Comma.ai devices failing to detect or respond to slow or stopped vehicles in the same lane. At least one of the fatal incidents may have involved "forked" or modified versions of the company's openpilot software, according to the agency.

Comma.ai, founded in 2015 by George Hotz, makes aftermarket devices that can be installed on a range of modern cars. Its openpilot software controls a vehicle's Adaptive Cruise Control and Automated Lane Centering systems. The company describes the functions as similar to Tesla Autopilot and GM Super Cruise, adding that openpilot can steer, accelerate and brake automatically for other vehicles within its lane while requiring drivers to remain ready to retake manual control.

One fatal crash appears to have occurred in February 2026 in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, where a 2022 Toyota RAV4 running FrogPilot, a third-party fork of openpilot, struck a stopped police vehicle positioned in the left lane with emergency lights activated. Two rear-seat passengers in the Toyota died. The other fatal crash was not immediately identified from the report numbers cited by the ODI.

Comma.ai did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has acknowledged on its website that the performance of openpilot's adaptive cruise control can be affected by "vehicles in the same lane that are not moving" and that the system is designed to limit deceleration and acceleration when abrupt braking is required.