The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary evaluation into aftermarket driver-assistance devices sold by U.
S. firm Comma.
The probe follows five reported crashes in which the system was powered on or engaged, leaving 14 people injured and three dead.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation announced the action after receiving the five crash reports involving Comma devices.
The agency says the crashes involved stopped or slow-moving vehicles, and it believes the system may not have correctly detected or analyzed other cars.
What the Investigation Will Examine
Through the Preliminary Evaluation, the ODI will analyze data from each incident.
The review is intended to evaluate system performance and safeguards meant to ensure safe operation of vehicles equipped with Comma devices.
The ODI indicates that the Comma Four system may not have adequately detected or responded to vehicles in these accidents.
Comma has been around for more than a decade and was founded in 2015 by George Holz, known for jailbreaking the iPhone and PlayStation 3.
The company initially released its code for others to assemble their own devices before selling its own hardware, the Comma Four.
The system is said to support more than 325 models from 27 brands and, in the U. S.
alone, is used by more than 30,000 drivers.
