On the evening of October 12, 2024, a tragic accident involving a Tesla vehicle occurred near Niort, in western France, resulting in four fatalities. Local authorities reported that the car veered off the road, hit a road sign, and subsequently caught fire. The intensity of the fire has made it challenging to identify the victims as their bodies were severely burned.

Lieutenant Eric Hoarau, a spokesperson for the local police, stated that while the exact details of the accident are still under investigation, all evidence points to the vehicle leaving the road. “Everything suggests [the vehicle] came off the road,” Hoarau said, referencing tire marks and a damaged road sign at the crash site. However, the lack of eyewitnesses is hampering the ongoing investigation.

The Tesla vehicle’s Autopilot system is now under scrutiny, given its involvement in numerous accidents over recent years. A Wall Street Journal study indicates that Tesla’s Autopilot technology primarily relies on computer vision rather than lidar sensors (light detection and ranging), a factor some experts believe could contribute to these accidents. Many Autopilot-related incidents are associated with unexpected swerving or a failure to detect obstacles.

This incident is yet another in a series of similar Tesla crashes worldwide, with several leading to fatal fires post-impact. For example, in April 2021, a Tesla Model S crashed into a tree and caught fire in The Woodlands, Texas, killing two people. Initial investigations suggested that Autopilot might have been engaged, but Tesla refuted this claim.

An additional case in Mountain View, California, in March 2018 resulted in the death of a Tesla Model X driver after a collision with a barrier. The Autopilot system was reportedly active at the time of the crash. Subsequent investigations criticized the system for overly relying on cameras without sufficient driver monitoring. These incidents underscore the ongoing concerns regarding Tesla’s Autopilot function and its potential safety flaws.

As the investigation continues, authorities are making efforts to identify the victims and ascertain the exact cause of the fatal crash near Niort.