Federal Regulators Launch Broad Investigation Into Tesla Autopilot Crashes
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opens a sweeping investigation into Tesla's Autopilot system following at least 11 crashes into emergency vehicles. The agency has the authority to force a recall or mandate new safety features depending on its findings.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opens a sweeping investigation into Tesla's Autopilot system, marking the broadest regulatory look at the assisted-driving technology to date. This formal inquiry comes after at least 11 crashes where Teslas operating on Autopilot collide with parked fire trucks, police cars, and other emergency vehicles. These incidents result in one death and 17 injuries, prompting regulators to seriously question the safety of the system.
Safety experts and regulators scrutinize Autopilot for years, but the agency previously concludes there are no defects following a fatal 2016 crash. Now, the safety agency shifts its stance to actively examine potential flaws that make the system and the vehicles operating on it dangerous. Investigators focus heavily on how Autopilot verifies that human drivers remain attentive and are ready to retake control if the software fails to recognize and brake for obstacles.
Depending on the outcome of this investigation, the federal government holds significant power to force Tesla to recall hundreds of thousands of cars and implement necessary changes to the software. The safety agency also possesses the authority to mandate the addition of new safety devices, much like it requires rearview cameras and airbags in the past. This inquiry represents a major turning point in the government's oversight of automated driving features.