The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said today that it has opened a probe into a series of incidents concerning Tesla Inc. cars, some of them resulting in injuries.
About 2.8 million Tesla vehicles with the company’s Full Self-Driving or FSD system will be scrutinized after a total of 58 traffic safety incidents involving FSD, amounting to 14 crashes and 23 injuries. This is not the first time NHTSA has taken an interest in the company and accidents associated with the software, technology that Chief Executive Elon Musk in the past has been accused of overselling in terms of its ability.
The most recent investigation will focus on red light and wrong-way violations, with Tesla cars seen driving in the wrong lane during or after a turn and turning “onto a road in the wrong direction despite the presence of wrong-way road signs.” There have also been a number of incidents in which FSD-enabled Teslas failed to stop at a railroad crossing even though a train was approaching.
“While the behaviors under investigation appear to occur most frequently at intersections, NHTSA’s investigation will encompass any other types of situations in which this behavior may arise, such as when traveling adjacent to a lane of opposing traffic or when approaching railroad crossings,” NHTSA said in a summary.
Regulators will look into if the FSD system gives drivers enough time to respond and reverse the problem after an error has been made, with some of the incidents reportedly involving the car giving “little notice to a driver or opportunity to intervene.” The investigation is preliminary, said the agency, explaining that once finished, the result could be no action taken, an update, or even a recall.
The news comes as Musk was recently reported to have become the first person in history to amass a fortune of $500 billion, with Tesla being his jewel in the crown. The company has experienced a sales slump of late, with Musk hoping to make a dent in the robotaxi market. Today’s news will be a setback in that regard.
Photo: Unsplash
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