NTSB lays partial blame on Apple for fatal Tesla crash involving employee
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board in a hearing on Tuesday knocked Apple for failing to enforce policies that restrict employees from using smartphones while driving, a practice that could have saved the life of engineer Walter Huang.

In 2018, Huang was involved in a fatal crash in Mountain View, Calif., when the Autopilot system on his Tesla Model X failed to recognize an obstacle, plowing the car headlong into a highway barrier at 71 miles per hour. Two cars subsequently hit Huang's vehicle and the Tesla's high-voltage battery was breached, resulting in a fire. Huang succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital.
At the hearing today, NTSB classified Huang, who was playing a game on a company-issued mobile device at the time of the crash, as a distracted driver, reports CNBC. Both Apple and Tesla are partially to blame for the engineer's death, according to remarks made by NTSB officials.
Tesla was taken to task for failing to prevent misuse of Autopilot, a driver assistance feature included in its range of cars and SUVs. The system's forward collision warning system failed to alert Huang to the approaching barrier, nor did its automatic emergency braking system activate prior to impact.
Bruce Landsberg, a vice chairman for NTSB, called Tesla's Autosteer feature "completely inadequate." The feature is designed to navigate tight roads and keep vehicles in their lane while traveling at highway speeds.
The automaker has been criticized for muddying already murky automated driving waters with its Autopilot branding. Consumers are either not clear about vehicle automation limitations or disregard warnings that require drivers to supervise onboard systems at all times and intervene when necessary.
Tesla's Autopilot is classified as a level 2 automated system, far from a theoretical level 5 self-driving car capable of acting as a user's personal chauffeur. Still, as noted by NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt, Huang was "using level 2 automation as if it were full automation."
Sumwalt also laid blame on Apple, saying in a statement, "The driver in this crash was employed by Apple -- a tech leader. But when it comes to recognizing the need for a company PED policy, Apple is lagging because they don't have such a policy."
The comments dovetailed with NTSB arguments revolving around employer responsibility. During the hearing, NTSB officials noted companies need to enact strict policies prohibiting the use of cellphones while driving. Apple currently lacks such rules.
"We expect our employees to follow the law," Apple said in a statement to CNBC.
Beyond corporate measures, NTSB argued a case for technological solutions like a lock-out mechanism that restricts mobile device access when a vehicle is in motion. Apple's has incorporated such capabilities into its iOS mobile operating system with a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" option, but the feature is disabled by default.

In 2018, Huang was involved in a fatal crash in Mountain View, Calif., when the Autopilot system on his Tesla Model X failed to recognize an obstacle, plowing the car headlong into a highway barrier at 71 miles per hour. Two cars subsequently hit Huang's vehicle and the Tesla's high-voltage battery was breached, resulting in a fire. Huang succumbed to his injuries after being transported to a nearby hospital.
At the hearing today, NTSB classified Huang, who was playing a game on a company-issued mobile device at the time of the crash, as a distracted driver, reports CNBC. Both Apple and Tesla are partially to blame for the engineer's death, according to remarks made by NTSB officials.
Tesla was taken to task for failing to prevent misuse of Autopilot, a driver assistance feature included in its range of cars and SUVs. The system's forward collision warning system failed to alert Huang to the approaching barrier, nor did its automatic emergency braking system activate prior to impact.
Bruce Landsberg, a vice chairman for NTSB, called Tesla's Autosteer feature "completely inadequate." The feature is designed to navigate tight roads and keep vehicles in their lane while traveling at highway speeds.
The automaker has been criticized for muddying already murky automated driving waters with its Autopilot branding. Consumers are either not clear about vehicle automation limitations or disregard warnings that require drivers to supervise onboard systems at all times and intervene when necessary.
Tesla's Autopilot is classified as a level 2 automated system, far from a theoretical level 5 self-driving car capable of acting as a user's personal chauffeur. Still, as noted by NTSB Chairman Robert Sumwalt, Huang was "using level 2 automation as if it were full automation."
Sumwalt also laid blame on Apple, saying in a statement, "The driver in this crash was employed by Apple -- a tech leader. But when it comes to recognizing the need for a company PED policy, Apple is lagging because they don't have such a policy."
The comments dovetailed with NTSB arguments revolving around employer responsibility. During the hearing, NTSB officials noted companies need to enact strict policies prohibiting the use of cellphones while driving. Apple currently lacks such rules.
"We expect our employees to follow the law," Apple said in a statement to CNBC.
Beyond corporate measures, NTSB argued a case for technological solutions like a lock-out mechanism that restricts mobile device access when a vehicle is in motion. Apple's has incorporated such capabilities into its iOS mobile operating system with a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" option, but the feature is disabled by default.
Comments
He may have been a smart guy, but that day he won an award from Darwin.
The NTSB needs to driving home two messages: DO NOT drive while distracted or impaired. DO NOT rely on self driving features.
Blaming Apple muddies the water, obscures the message.
Apple's has incorporated such capabilities into its iOS mobile operating system with a "Do Not Disturb While Driving" option, but the feature is disabled by default.
Rant over.
The NTSB are idiots. Do they realize how many kids own iPhones and drive (as passengers) in cars and busses? Ever heard of carpooling, Taxies & Uber? How is Apple supposed to know without violating users privacy?
While on this topic, I also think fully autonomous driving is laughable in light of how stupid and utterly brain dead our existing tech is today. I doubt we'll ever see it in my lifetime, and I am talking about a 100% autonomous system that lets everyone even sleep in the car if they want to, handling snow, typhoons, bridge-out scenarios -- you name it. There's a long road of travel before that is achieved, and I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't take an advanced AI brain to even write that level of sophisticated, near error-free code.
Also, rhetorically...
Who hires/appoints these people that work for federal agencies, anyway? Apple and Tesla are to blame because the driver broke multiple laws and misused/abused technology?
In the world I live in, I have to take responsibility for my own actions.
The ignorance of people will always be a problem whether they are texting on the phone while driving or setting off a firework sitting on top of their head sadly it is part of the human race and it will never be eliminated.
Once full self driving has been realized there will be significantly fewer car accidents and loss of life from those accidents it’s just going to take time to get there.
Tesla drivers should be perfectly aware of the limitations of the system - they’re spelled out in great detail in the manual, it makes you agree when you first turn it on that you the driver are responsible and to always pay attention, and it warns you every time you activate it and very often during use to keep your hands on the wheel and pay attention. Any Tesla driver who uses autopilot and claims to not understand this is either being intentionally obtuse or is a moron who shouldn’t be allowed to drive a bicycle.
What do performance enhancing drugs have to do with distracted driving?
And show me any company in the world that has a policy about how employees drive when they aren't on the clock. I bet those NTSB employees are governed by no such policy.