Tesla emergency braking system flagged after fatal 2021 Paris taxi crash
A Tesla taxi in Paris fatally struck a cyclist in December 2021 after its emergency braking system activated without an obstacle, confusing the driver who pressed the accelerator and remained unable to correct course for twenty seconds. The French accident investigation bureau recommended Tesla prevent accelerator input from overriding emergency braking activation.
What happened
In December 2021, a taxi driver in southern Paris accelerated unexpectedly on an avenue, veered onto a bicycle path, struck and killed a cyclist at 118 km/h, then hit a glass container and injured about twenty people.
Just before the crash, the Tesla's automated emergency braking system (AEBS) activated intrusively, with no obstacle present. The driver, apparently believing the braking was related to the vehicle's energy recovery, pressed the accelerator forcefully. The driver remained panicked and pressing the accelerator for approximately twenty seconds, unable to correct course.
The BEA-TT investigation confirmed the driver had not activated Autopilot.
Reported impact
One cyclist was killed and approximately twenty people were injured in the collision and subsequent impact with the glass container.
Index analysis
The BEA-TT identified a design flaw: the emergency braking system activation could be overridden by pressing the accelerator, allowing the driver's panicked acceleration to prevent collision avoidance.
The system's intrusive activation without a detected obstacle contributed to driver confusion and a prolonged period of uncontrolled acceleration.
Governance controls
The BEA-TT recommended Tesla prevent cancellation of AEBS activation by accelerator input.
The agency also recommended that the French Direction générale de l'énergie et du climat (DGEC) propose modifications to United Nations vehicle regulations toward the same goal, and increase the duration and frequency of vehicle data recording in accidents.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.