Tesla Faces Probe on Autopilot System as Regulators Seek Transparency
Tesla, the renowned automaker, is under scrutiny from U.S. regulators as they request additional information to aid in their ongoing investigation into 830,000 Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot, the company's advanced driver assistance system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently issued a letter to Tesla on July 3, seeking updated responses to inquiries initially made in August 2022. Specifically, the agency is focused on Tesla's cabin camera and driver monitoring system, which the automaker claims can detect driver inattentiveness and send audible alerts to remind them to keep their eyes on the road while Autopilot is engaged. NHTSA is also seeking details on how Tesla generates its quarterly safety reports.
Tesla has until July 19 to provide the requested information with current data, as outlined by the agency. However, the automaker has not yet issued a comment regarding the investigation.
Since 2016, NHTSA has initiated 41 special crash investigations involving Tesla vehicles suspected of using Autopilot, with data collected until December 2022. Tragically, these investigations revealed 19 reported deaths related to these incidents.
Autopilot offers various automated driving features, including automatic steering, acceleration, and braking within a highway lane. Enhanced Autopilot goes a step further by assisting in lane changes. Tesla's latest "Full Self-Driving" beta software (FSD) combines these capabilities with city driving features, such as responding to traffic signals, stop signs, and making turns. However, it's important to note that neither Autopilot nor FSD is considered fully self-driving, and Tesla advises drivers to remain vigilant in case they need to take control of the vehicle.
Despite these warnings, Tesla has faced repeated lawsuits and criticism for alleged misleading marketing, with critics claiming that it creates a false sense of security in the vehicle's capabilities and leads to driver inattention.
In 2022, NHTSA reported that nine out of eleven vehicles involved in crashes did not provide visual or audio alerts to engage the driver until the last minute before a collision, and four of them lacked any alerts at all. The agency's letter requests Tesla to provide updates on any modifications made to its driver engagement or attentiveness systems. Additionally, NHTSA seeks data on the number of vehicles equipped with "Tesla Vision" (cameras as the primary sensors) and whether these vehicles also feature the cabin camera system.
Tesla introduced its camera-based driver monitoring system in May 2021, moving away from a system that relied on detecting the presence of the driver's hands on the steering wheel to determine attentiveness. This previous system was prone to bypassing, particularly as drivers began purchasing devices like "Tesla weights" from e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba.
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