The US traffic regulator National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) will investigate a major recall by Tesla in December of more than 2 million cars due to concerns about the safety of the Autopilot driver assistance system. The NHTSA is now looking at whether the software updates for Autopilot are enough to address those concerns.
The recall followed the NHTSA’s determination that Tesla’s driver assistance system is not safe enough. In 2021, the regulator already started an investigation into the electric car manufacturer’s Autopilot after a series of collisions. The NHTSA had already requested more information from Tesla about the new Autopilot software that the company has introduced.
Autopilot is intended to allow Tesla cars to automatically steer, accelerate and brake within their lane. In addition, the advanced version of Autopilot can help with lane changes on highways. However, according to the regulator, there is an increased risk of accidents in situations where the driver assistance system is switched on and insufficient care is taken to ensure that drivers continue to pay attention when using Autopilot.
Tesla has always said that Autopilot is not a replacement for a driver and that the driver must always pay attention and keep their hands on the wheel.
Tesla recently reached a settlement in a case involving a fatal accident involving a car driven with Autopilot. In that 2018 accident in California, a 38-year-old man was killed when his car crashed at full speed into a concrete barrier between the two sides of a highway. His family claimed that the Model X’s Autopilot system malfunctioned, causing the accident.
