After a two-year examination, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is set to conclude its in-depth investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, with indications of an impending public announcement.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, acting NHTSA Administrator Ann Carlson stated, “We’ll get to a resolution (of the Tesla probe).” While Carlson did not divulge the specifics of the outcome, she hinted, “hopefully you’ll hear something relatively soon.”
The crux of the agency’s probe centers around the Autopilot’s performance in scenarios where Tesla vehicles reportedly collided with stationary emergency vehicles. Additional concerns have been raised over the system’s efficacy in ensuring driver engagement when Autopilot is activated.
NHTSA’s investigation, which expanded to encompass 830,000 Tesla vehicles, underwent an escalation in June 2022, progressing to an engineering analysis phase. Such a move is a precursor to potential recall demands. Recently, NHTSA solicited up-to-date responses and fresh data from Tesla to aid its inquiry.
Autopilot’s design allows Tesla vehicles to autonomously execute tasks like steering, accelerating, and braking within their lane. Its enhanced version facilitates lane changes on highways. Users are told to intervene at any moment’s notice prior to agreeing to use the features.
Highlighting the overarching challenges with advanced driver assistance systems, Carlson emphasized the dual necessity of drivers remaining vigilant and the technology recognizing and countering human tendencies to over-rely on automation.
Historical data from NHTSA has spotlighted potential shortcomings in Tesla’s alert system. In 2022, the agency reported that, out of 11 vehicles involved in prior crashes, nine displayed minimal to no driver engagement or alerts until moments before the collision. Four of these vehicles did not produce any alerts during the final Autopilot usage cycle.