- NHTSA is looking into the safety of Tesla's full self-driving system
- Four accidents have been documented while Tesla's Full Self-Driving system was in operation, one fatal.
- Tesla CEO Elon Musk has doubled down on self-driving cars with Cybercab
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving driver assistance system following four documented accidents, including one fatality in 2023, Reuters reported.
An investigation, which is the first step before NHTSA can request a refund for safety reasonsit includes the 2016-2024 Tesla Model S and Model X electric cars with an optional lineup, as well as the 2017-2024 Tesla Model 3, 2020-2024 Tesla Model Y, and 2023-2024 Tesla Cybertruck pickups—all of which were actually optional. car. with Full Self-Driving.
NHTSA said it opened an investigation after that four crashes where the system was operating during reduced visibility conditions such as glare, fog, or airborne dust. This includes the November 2023 accident there the pedestrian was killed in Rimrock, Arizona, after being hit by a 2021 Tesla Model Y, according to the agency. Another accident under investigation involved a reported injury.
Tesla Model 3 dashboard in Autopilot testing by IIHS [CREDIT: IIHS]
The investigation will include a review of Full Self-Driving's ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced road visibility conditions.” The NHTSA also asked Tesla if any other similar crashes have occurred under reduced road visibility and if the automaker has made any updates that could affect Full Self-Driving under such conditions, according to Reuters.
Despite its name, Tesla's website acknowledges that Full Self-Driving still requires driver supervision and does not make the cars truly autonomous. They are no self-driving cars currently available for buyers to purchase.
2024 Tesla Model Y. – Courtesy of Tesla, Inc.
In 2023, NHTSA requested that Tesla issue a notice to limit the behavior of Full Self-Driving, saying that the system created ” unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety.” Later that year, Tesla revealed that the US Department of Justice had issued subpoenas related to its Full Self-Driving and Autopilot systems. Tesla continues to offer Full Self-Driving as an $8,000 option, down from a maximum of $15,000 in 2022 .
The investigation comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk is doubling down on autonomous driving. Earlier this month, Musk held an unveiling of a $30,000 two-seater Cybercab that he said would arrive before 2027, as well as a 20-seat autonomous shuttle concept called the Robovan.