49ers’ Kyle Shanahan Casts Doubt on Tesla’s Autopilot Mode After Crash, Doesn’t Have ‘A Ton of Guilt’

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan spoke at length about being involved in a dramatic car accident last month, which he claimed happened when he tried reaching for his phone in the backseat of his Tesla. 

“I mean, anytime you cause an accident that could be avoided, you’d feel pretty stupid,” Shanahan, 46, told reporters during a press conference on Saturday, August 8. “Especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else.”

Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs and his hand in the July 14 crash, which also resulted in him suffering a severe concussion and needing over 40 stitches in his face. 

According to police, the head coach’s Tesla Model S collided with an SUV near his California home after veering into oncoming traffic. The 21-year-old driver of the other vehicle was reportedly uninjured and no charges were filed. 

Shanahan revealed on Sunday that his Tesla was in autopilot mode at the time of the incident. 

“I’ve had autopilot for nine years, so I’m pretty comfortable with it and, you know, who knows what happened when I turned around?” he said. “Whether it malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off? That’s something I don’t know yet. But regardless, it is always your fault, whether you’re on autopilot or not. You can’t take your eyes off the road.”

He continued, “It’s a partnership driving, you don’t just turn it over to a computer, and it’s a good lesson, no matter how comfortable I am with that, that I believe someday could save my life or someone else’s, or it’s really helped me have perspective on that stuff.”

Still, Shanahan admitted the crash wasn’t a tremendous weight on his conscience. 

“I didn’t have a ton of guilt over it or anything,” he said. “The word’s an ‘accident,’ and it truly was that way. But you realize how quick and close that stuff can happen. When you’re going at 20 miles an hour, you’re not really — and you’re on autopilot — I obviously have zero worries. I have so much trust in that stuff.”

He added, “That was a good lesson that you can’t ever have zero worries. But I think it definitely could be an example for a lot of people.”

Us has reached out to Tesla for comment. 

Shanahan is still suffering from “headaches and fatigue” as a result of the crash, but said he feels “so much better” than he did in the immediate aftermath. 

The coach expects to be on the sidelines when the 49ers open their preseason schedule at home against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday, August 13.