Additional Coverage:
- 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan says his car was on autopilot at the time of his recent accident (cbssports.com)
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan addressed questions about his recent car accident on Saturday, marking his first public comments since the team began training camp. Shanahan reported that he is nearing full recovery and intends to coach in Thursday’s preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
The accident, which occurred on July 14, resulted in multiple injuries for Shanahan, including a concussion, three broken ribs, and a broken left hand. Due to his recovery, Shanahan has scaled back some of his usual coaching responsibilities as he works toward regaining his full capacity.
“I try not to come in here every single day because I feel like, if I did, I wouldn’t be able to pull off my normal routine, which is watching hours and hours of tape and getting to walk through the night being able to watch stuff after that,” Shanahan explained. “Eventually I will get there.”
Previously, Shanahan had met privately with reporters to clarify that he crossed into oncoming traffic during the crash, not the other driver, who was 21 years old. On Saturday, Shanahan provided additional context, revealing that he was using the autopilot feature of his Tesla Model S when the accident happened after he dropped his phone and momentarily took his eyes off the road.
Shanahan, who said he has been familiar with autopilot technology for nine years and is “pretty comfortable” using it, was uncertain whether the collision was due to a malfunction or if he had accidentally disengaged autopilot while retrieving his phone.
“Anytime you cause an accident that can be avoided, you feel pretty stupid, especially when you have a chance to hurt someone else,” Shanahan said. “Who knows what happened when I turned around, whether [autopilot] malfunctioned or whether I knocked it off I don’t know yet.
But regardless, it’s always your fault. Whether you’re on autopilot or not, you can’t take your eyes off the road.
It’s a partnership, driving, you don’t just turn it over to a computer.”
Entering his 10th season with the 49ers, Shanahan holds an 82-67 regular season record and 9-5 postseason record. Under his leadership, the team secured NFC championships in 2019 and 2024, both campaigns concluding with Super Bowl losses to the Kansas City Chiefs.