49ers Coach Kyle Shanahan Confirms Tesla Autopilot Was Active During Crash

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has shared new details about a car accident that occurred four weeks ago near downtown Palo Alto, California. Immediately after the crash, he had only said the accident was his fault without elaborating further.

Speaking at a recent press conference, Shanahan revealed that his Tesla's Autopilot system was engaged at the time of the crash. He was careful to note that he wasn't trying to shift blame onto the technology.

Nine years of experience with Autopilot

Shanahan said he has used Autopilot for nine years and feels fairly comfortable with the system. He admitted he isn't yet sure exactly what caused the crash — whether the system malfunctioned or whether he accidentally disengaged it while turning around. That detail, he said, remains unknown to him.

Regardless of the cause, Shanahan emphasized that responsibility for driving always rests with the driver, whether Autopilot is active or not. He described driving with Autopilot as a partnership between driver and machine, not a full handover of control to a computer, meaning drivers still cannot take their eyes off the road.

Autopilot's track record

Over the years, Tesla's Autopilot has been linked to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths, with some cases resulting in substantial legal settlements against the company.