Problems With Tesla Autopilot In 765,000 American Vehicles Scanned After A Series Of Accidents

The U.S. government has launched an official investigation into Tesla's semi-automatic self-driving system following a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles.

The survey includes 765,000 cars, almost all of which have been sold by Tesla in the United States since the beginning of the 2014 model year. Seventeen people were injured and one died as a result of incidents identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of their investigation.

There have been 11 incidents since 2018, according to NHTSA, in which Tesla, with autopilot or traffic-conscious cruise control, hit cars in areas where first responders used flashlights, torches, glowing arrows, or cones. 

The inquiry is another sign that President Joe Biden's NHTSA is taking a tougher stance on automatic vehicle safety than the previous administration. In the past, the agency has been reluctant to regulate new technologies for fear that it could impede the adoption of life-saving systems.

The study covers the current range of Tesla models, models Y, X, S, and 3 from the 2014-2021 model years.

The National Transportation Safety Board, which also investigated some of Tesla's accidents in 2016, recommended that the use of the NHTSA and Tesla autopilot be restricted to areas where it could operate safely. The NTSB has also recommended that the NHTSA request a better system from Tesla so that drivers can pay attention. The NHTSA did not act on any of the recommendations. The NTSB has no enforcement authority and may only make recommendations to other federal agencies.

NTSB President Jennifer L. Homandy said Monday that today’s NHTSA operation is a positive step toward security. "As we enter the changing world of modern driver assistance systems, it is important for NHTSA to know what these vehicles can and cannot do."

Last year, the NTSB blamed Tesla rules, drivers, and NHTSA negligence for two collisions that crashed a Tesla tractor. The NTSB took an unusual step and accused NHTSA of complicity in the accident because it failed to ensure that car manufacturers implemented safety measures restricting the use of electronic steering systems.

The agency took the step after investigating a 2019 accident in Delray Beach, Florida, that killed a 50-year-old Tesla Model 3 driver. The vehicle was running on autopilot when neither the driver nor the autopilot system applied the brakes and tried to prevent the tractor.

Jason Lyon said: “We are pleased to see that NHTSA is finally recognizing our long-standing call for the launch of Tesla technology, which is expected to be misused and lead to accidents, injuries, and deaths. »Non-Commercial Car Safety Center, Law Firm. "In any case, this investigation should go well beyond the first medical vehicle accidents, as autopilot poses a danger to all drivers, passengers, and pedestrians when they are busy."

Car pilots were often abused by Tesla drivers who were caught driving while intoxicated or in the back seat while the vehicle was driving on a California highway.

Tesla & other manufacturers have warned that those who use this system must be ready to log in at any time.In addition to driving through Semi, Ricky collided with an emergency vehicle and a roadblock using a Tesla's autopilot.

Raj Raj Kumar, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, said NHTSA had begun research into motor vehicles.

"It's so very easy to avoid pressure from management," Rajkumar said. - This has been going on since 2014. We've been talking about this for a long time.

NHTSA-reported emergency vehicle accidents began in 2018. January 22 In Clover City, California, near Los Angeles, when Tesla crashed into a stationary fire truck using autopilot, partly on the track, intermittently. The crew then faced another accident.

The agency has since reported incidents in Laguna Beach, California, Norwich, Connecticut Cloverdale, Indiana Westbridge Water, Massachusetts Coach County, Arizona Charlotte, North Carolina Montgomery County, Texas Lansing, Michigan, and Miami, Florida.

"The study will explore technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and engage a driver in a dynamic driving task while controlling an autopilot," the NHTSA study said.

In addition, the investigation will include the detection of objects and events in the system, as well as the location where it is allowed to operate. NHTSA said it would investigate "partner situations" during accidents and similar accidents.

Following an investigation, NHTSA may revoke or take other enforcement action.