U.S. federal regulators are stepping up their investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot feature after more than a dozen Tesla cars crashed into parked first-reaction vehicles in four years.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said on Thursday that it was upgrading its preliminary investigation, which began last August, to an “engineering analysis” that is being conducted before the agency determines the withdrawal.
The investigation covers all four Tesla vehicles – models Y, X, S and 3 – representing about 830,000 vehicles sold in the United States.
The investigation focuses on Tesla’s Autopilot feature, which should help drivers navigate the roads with artificial intelligence that detects other vehicles. The company instructs drivers to pay attention to the road and keep their hands behind the wheel while using autopilot, although some drivers have used autopilot drunk or sitting in the back seat of the car.
The 16 accidents underlying the investigation occurred between January 2018 and January 2022 and resulted in 15 injuries and one death. In documents posted on its website, NHTSA said forensic data showed that most drivers had their hands on the steering wheel before the crash and complied with the system as it was designed for use.
The agency said this while the investigation specifically examines whether the autopilot function ultimately undermines “the effectiveness of driver supervision.”
NHTSA, in a separate investigation, is considering a separate batch of complaints filed against Tesla vehicles that suddenly stop at high speeds, otherwise known as “phantom braking”. The agency has received more than 750 complaints related to the problem, although no accidents or injuries have been reported. The agency asked Tesla for more information about its awareness of the problem.
The agency has long struggled with Tesla, especially with the company’s outspoken founder Elon Musk for years. Anonymous officials and former regulators told the Washington Post in detail earlier this year that the agency’s heated reaction came from Musk, noting that regulators had to learn to deal with a combat company.
In a letter to Musk last fall, Jennifer Homey, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) – a separate federal agency that investigates accidents and makes recommendations to other agencies such as NHTSA – called on Musk to respond to his autopilot safety recommendations. issued to Tesla back in 2017. The NTSB recommended that Tesla develop safeguards that will not allow drivers to use vehicles in ways incompatible with its design.
“If you are serious about putting safety at the forefront and at the heart of Tesla’s vehicle design, I invite you to complete the safety recommendations we issued four years ago,” Homendi wrote in a letter to Musk.
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