Tesla cars' auto-pilot technology suspected in crashes

The radar technology of a Tesla Model S containing Autopilot features is pointed out during a Tesla event in Palo Alto, California, US, October 14, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Tesla Motors Inc's Autopilot technology continues to draw scrutiny, with drivers claiming it was engaged during accidents and a news report that federal regulators are probing a possible securities law violation.

The federal Securities and Exchange Commission is reviewing whether Tesla, which sold $1.4 billion in stock in mid-May to pay for expanded production, withheld material information about a fatal crash in Florida earlier in the month, the Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Pennsylvania State Police cited the driver of a Tesla Model X sport utility vehicle involved in a July 1 crash that may have involved Autopilot technology for careless driving, according to a report released on Monday.

Meanwhile, another Tesla driver has told Montana police that Autopilot was engaged during an accident that occurred on Saturday.

Tesla's Autopilot features, which are available on more than 70,000 vehicles worldwide, have come under intense scrutiny in the wake of a fatal accident in Florida.

In May, 40-year-old Joshua Brown of Ohio was killed when his Tesla Model S drove under the trailer of an 18-wheeler on a highway near Williston, Florida.

In a blog post, Tesla stressed that the crash was the first known fatality in more than 130 million miles (209 million kilometers) of Autopilot driving, compared with a death every 94 million miles for all cars.

Bloomberg