US Opens Formal Probe into Tesla Autopilot System

August 16, 2021by Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writer
US Opens Formal Probe into Tesla Autopilot System
Tesla 2018 Model 3 sedans sitting on display outside a Tesla showroom in Littleton, Colo. (AP Photo/David Zalubowsi)

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government has opened a formal investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot partially automated driving system after a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles. 

The investigation covers 765,000 vehicles, almost everything that Tesla has sold in the U.S. since the start of the 2014 model year. Of the crashes identified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as part of the investigation, 17 people were injured and one was killed.

NHTSA says it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which Teslas on Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control have hit vehicles at scenes where first responders have used flashing lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board or cones warning of hazards. The agency announced the action Monday in a posting on its website. 

The investigation covers Tesla’s entire current model lineup, the Models Y, X, S and 3 from the 2014 through 2021 model years. 

The National Transportation Safety Board, which also has investigated some of the Tesla crashes, has recommended that NHTSA and Tesla limit Autopilot’s use to areas where it can safely operate. The NTSB also recommended that NHTSA require Tesla to have a better system to make sure drivers are paying attention. NHTSA has not taken action on any of the recommendations. The NTSB has no enforcement powers and can only make recommendations to other federal agencies such as NHTSA.

Autopilot has frequently been misused by Tesla drivers, who have been caught driving drunk or even riding in the back seat while a car rolled down a California highway.

The agency has sent investigative teams to 31 crashes involving partially automated driver assist systems since June of 2016. Such systems can keep a vehicle centered in its lane and a safe distance from vehicles in front of it. Of those crashes, 25 involved Tesla Autopilot in which 10 deaths were reported, according to data released by the agency.

Tesla and other manufacturers warn that drivers using the systems must be ready to intervene at all times. Teslas using the system have crashed into semis crossing in front of them, stopped emergency vehicles and a roadway barrier. 

A message was left early Monday seeking comment from Tesla, which has disbanded its media relations office.

The crashes into emergency vehicles cited by NHTSA began on Jan. 22, 2018 in Culver City, California, near Los Angeles when a Tesla using Autopilot struck a parked firetruck that was parked partially in the travel lanes with its lights flashing. Crews were handling another crash at the time.

Since then, the agency said there were crashes in Laguna Beach, California; Norwalk, Connecticut; Cloverdale, Indiana; West Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Cochise County, Arizona; Charlotte, North Carolina, Montgomery County, Texas; Lansing, Michigan; and Miami, Florida.

“The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation,” NHTSA said in its investigation documents. 

In addition, the probe will cover object and event detection by the system, as well as where it is allowed to operate. NHTSA says it will examine “contributing circumstances” to the crashes, as well as similar crashes. 

An investigation could lead to a recall or other enforcement action by NHTSA. 

“NHTSA reminds the public that no commercially available motor vehicles today are capable of driving themselves,” the agency said in a statement. “Every available vehicle requires a human driver to be in control at all times, and all state laws hold human drivers responsible for operation of their vehicles.”

The agency said it has “robust enforcement tools” to protect the public and investigate potential safety issues, and it will act when it finds evidence “of noncompliance or an unreasonable risk to safety.”

In June NHTSA ordered all automakers to report any crashes involving fully autonomous vehicles or partially automated driver assist systems.

The measures show the agency has started to take a tougher stance on automated vehicle safety than in the past. It has been reluctant to issue any regulations of the new technology for fear of hampering adoption of the potentially life-saving systems.

Shares of Tesla Inc., based in Palo Alto, California, fell nearly 2% before the opening bell. 

A+
a-
  • National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
  • Tesla
  • Traffic Aware Cruise Control
  • In The News

    Health

    Voting

    Transportation

    February 27, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    House Republicans Raise Questions About EV Charger Program

    WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are raising questions about the implementation of the Biden administration’s... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are raising questions about the implementation of the Biden administration’s electric vehicle charger subsidy program. In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, a trio of Republican lawmakers led by Committee... Read More

    EPA Approves Year-Round Sales of Higher Ethanol Blend in Eight Midwest States

    DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drivers in eight Midwestern states will be able to fuel up with a higher blend of... Read More

    DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Drivers in eight Midwestern states will be able to fuel up with a higher blend of ethanol throughout the year under a final rule announced Thursday by the Environmental Protection Agency. The biofuels industry and farming groups, with support of Midwest governors, sought... Read More

    February 6, 2024
    by Tom Ramstack
    FAA Administrator Grilled in Congress Over Aviation Safety Lapses

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration’s new administrator pledged more aggressive safety oversight during a congressional hearing Tuesday to avoid... Read More

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration’s new administrator pledged more aggressive safety oversight during a congressional hearing Tuesday to avoid disasters like the near-miss last month aboard an Alaska Airlines flight. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said the watchdog agency is shifting to a strategy that anticipates... Read More

    January 29, 2024
    by Dan McCue
    ExxonMobil Drilling First Lithium Well in Arkansas

    SPRING, Texas — ExxonMobil has begun drilling its first lithium well in southwest Arkansas, an area known to be rich... Read More

    SPRING, Texas — ExxonMobil has begun drilling its first lithium well in southwest Arkansas, an area known to be rich in the soft, silvery white metal, with an eye toward becoming a leading supplier for electric vehicles by 2030. Lithium is essential to the production of... Read More

    Cold Hard Facts: Winter EV Charging Woes Prove Need for Consumer Choice and Smarter Policy

    In the United States, transportation accounts for close to 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, if we’re going to achieve our... Read More

    In the United States, transportation accounts for close to 30% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, if we’re going to achieve our carbon reduction targets, addressing and solving the problems associated with transportation sector-based carbon emissions is imperative. It has also been quite cold across the country and... Read More

    December 18, 2023
    by Tom Ramstack
    Southwest Airlines Fined $140M for Poor Response to Winter Storm

    WASHINGTON — Southwest Airlines was hit with $140 million in fines Monday from the U.S. Transportation Department as punishment for... Read More

    WASHINGTON — Southwest Airlines was hit with $140 million in fines Monday from the U.S. Transportation Department as punishment for its Christmastime meltdown last year that stranded 2 million passengers. It was the biggest fine for an airline in Transportation Department history. Bad weather contributed to... Read More

    News From The Well
    scroll top