NHTSA investigates Comma.ai after two fatal crashes involving openpilot software

Comma.ai is under investigation by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after two fatal crashes involving vehicles that were running forked versions of the company’s open‑source driver‑assist software, openpilot. The incidents, one in Texas in early 2022 and another in California in mid‑2023, each involved drivers who had modified the original code. Both crashes resulted in the deaths of occupants, prompting regulators to question whether the altered software compromised safety systems.

The probe comes at a time when the auto industry is tightening oversight of advanced driver‑assistance systems (ADAS). Comma.ai’s openpilot was designed to provide lane‑keeping and adaptive cruise control on a limited set of cars, but it is not certified as a full autonomous system. Critics have warned that the open‑source nature of the code makes it easy for hobbyists to create “forks” that disable safety checks or change behavior. In the two crashes, investigators found evidence that the software had been altered to allow higher speeds and to ignore certain sensor inputs, actions that the original openpilot code would normally block. The company has previously emphasized that users must keep the safety driver engaged and that any modifications are undertaken at the user’s own risk.

Comma.ai said it is fully cooperating with the NHTSA inquiry and will provide all relevant logs and source code. The firm reiterated that its official releases include built‑in safeguards and that it does not endorse any third‑party forks. Regulators may issue a recall query or demand a software update that restricts the ability to create unsafe variants. If the investigation leads to stricter controls, it could reshape how open‑source ADAS projects are distributed and maintained, affecting both hobbyist developers and larger manufacturers that rely on community‑driven code. The outcome will likely set a precedent for the balance between innovation and safety in the rapidly evolving field of driver‑assist technology.