Federal authorities have stated that a significant safety deficiency in Tesla’s Autopilot system played a role in at least 467 accidents, with 13 resulting in fatalities and numerous others causing serious injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conducted an analysis of 956 accidents involving Tesla vehicles using Autopilot, with the results published recently.
According to the report, Tesla’s Autopilot system’s design has contributed to foreseeable misuse and preventable accidents. The system lacks sufficient measures to ensure driver attention and appropriate use, as noted by NHTSA. The report highlighted issues with the system’s driver engagement mechanism, including its failure to effectively prompt drivers to stay focused and keep their hands on the wheel.
Despite a software update issued by Tesla in December to address identified defects, NHTSA has initiated a new investigation into its effectiveness. This update was part of a voluntary recall covering 2 million Tesla vehicles in the U.S., aiming to enhance driver monitoring systems. However, NHTSA’s findings suggest that the update may not have been adequate, given ongoing reports of Autopilot-related crashes.
In a recent incident, a Tesla driver in Snohomish County, Washington, was involved in a collision that resulted in the death of a motorcyclist on April 19, as documented by records obtained by CNBC and NBC News. The driver admitted to using Autopilot at the time of the accident.
The findings from the NHTSA add to a series of reports from regulators and watchdogs that have raised concerns about the safety of Tesla’s Autopilot technology. Tesla has marketed Autopilot as a significant advantage over other car manufacturers, stating on its website that it’s designed to reduce the driver’s workload through advanced cruise control and automatic steering.
Tesla has not responded to the NHTSA report and did not reply to requests for comment sent to various departments within the company.
Senators Edward J. Markey and Richard Blumenthal issued a statement after the NHTSA report, urging federal regulators to require Tesla to limit Autopilot to roads it was specifically designed for. Tesla’s Owner’s Manual website warns drivers against using the Autosteer function in areas where there might be bicyclists or pedestrians.
Earlier in the month, Tesla settled a lawsuit from the family of Walter Huang, an Apple engineer who died in a crash involving his Tesla Model X with Autopilot engaged. The terms of the settlement were kept confidential.
Despite these events, Tesla and CEO Elon Musk have indicated their confidence in autonomous driving technology as the future of the company. Musk emphasized during Tesla’s recent earnings call that those who doubt Tesla’s ability to solve autonomy should not invest in the company.
Musk has long promised that Tesla’s existing cars could become self-driving through software updates, although the company has only provided driver assistance systems so far and has not produced fully self-driving vehicles. Additionally, Musk has made safety claims about Tesla’s driver assistance systems without allowing third-party verification of the company’s data.
Philip Koopman, an automotive safety researcher and associate professor at Carnegie Mellon University, criticized Tesla’s marketing and safety claims, calling it “autonowashing.” He hopes that Tesla will take the concerns raised by the NHTSA seriously and implement improvements to enhance safety, such as automatically restricting Autopilot use to intended roads based on existing map data and improving driver monitoring to prevent distractions while Autopilot is engaged.
Read More: Tesla owners instructed to avoid wearing Apple VR headsets while driving.
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