DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. government’s road safety agency has launched an investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system following reports of accidents occurring in low-visibility situations. One of these incidents tragically resulted in a pedestrian’s death.
The National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced on Thursday that it had opened this inquiry after Tesla reported four accidents involving its vehicles in low-visibility conditions, which included challenges such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust. Besides the fatality of a pedestrian, another collision resulted in injuries.
Investigators will assess whether the “Full Self-Driving” technology can effectively “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” They will also examine what factors contributed to these recent collisions.
This investigation encompasses approximately 2.4 million Tesla vehicles produced from the 2016 to 2024 model years. Tesla has been reached for comment, though the company has often reiterated that the system does not enable cars to drive themselves and that human drivers must remain ready to take control whenever necessary.
Just last week, Tesla showcased a fully autonomous robotaxi at a Hollywood studio, a vehicle designed without a steering wheel or pedals. CEO Elon Musk expressed the ambition for fully autonomous vehicles to operate without human drivers by next year, with plans for robotaxis to be available by 2026.
The safety agency is also investigating whether there are other instances of “Full Self-Driving” causing accidents in low visibility and will request details from Tesla regarding any updates that might have influenced the system’s performance under such conditions.
The inquiry will specifically review the timing and intent behind any updates to assess their capabilities and how Tesla evaluated their impact on safety, according to official documents.
Previously, the agency has pressured Tesla into issuing two recalls of the “Full Self-Driving” system due to safety concerns. For instance, in July, the NHTSA sought information after a Tesla utilizing the system struck and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle.
These recalls were prompted by issues such as the system’s programming, which allowed it to ignore stop signs at slow speeds and violate other traffic laws, raising significant safety concerns among critics. Many argue that Tesla’s reliance solely on cameras for hazard detection may not suffice, as most other companies developing autonomous vehicles also incorporate radar and laser sensors to enhance visibility in dark or poor weather conditions.
 — The U.S. government’s road safety agency is again investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system, this time after getting reports of crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one that killed a pedestrian.The National Highway Safety Administration says in documents that it opened the probe on Thursday with the company reporting four crashes after Teslas entered areas of low visibility, including sun glare, fog and airborne dust.In addition to the pedestrian’s death, another crash involved an injury, the agency said.Investigators will look into the ability of “Full Self-Driving” to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions, and if so, the contributing circumstances for these crashes.”The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Teslas from the 2016 through 2024 model years. A message was left early Friday seeking comment from Tesla, which has repeatedly said the system cannot drive itself and human drivers must be ready to intervene at all times. Last week Tesla held an event at a Hollywood studio to unveil a fully autonomous robotaxi without a steering wheel or pedals. CEO Elon Musk said the company plans to have fully autonomous vehicles running without human drivers next year, and robotaxis available in 2026. The agency also said it would look into whether any other similar crashes involving “Full Self-Driving” have happened in low visibility conditions, and it will seek information from the company on whether any updates affected the system’s performance in those conditions. “In particular, his review will assess the timing, purpose and capabilities of any such updates, as well as Telsa’s assessment of their safety impact,” the documents said.Tesla has twice recalled “Full Self-Driving” under pressure from the agency, which in July sought information from law enforcement and the company after a Tesla using the system struck and killed a motorcyclist near Seattle. The recalls were issued because the system was programmed to run stop signs at slow speeds and because the system disobeyed other traffic laws. Critics have said that Tesla’s system, which uses only cameras to spot hazards, doesn’t have proper sensors to be fully self driving. Nearly all other companies working on autonomous vehicles use radar and laser sensors in addition to cameras to see better in the dark or poor visibility conditions. window.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init({ appId : '870613919693099', xfbml : true, version : 'v2.9' }); }; (function(d, s, id){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); write in the Greek){kind=link}