Though it seems light Tesla CEO Elon Musk would rather spend most of his days seek toweasel his mode outof a calamitous Twitter deal , renew threats of an Autopilot recall from federal regulator may force the billionaire to re - focus on his day job .
This week , the National Highway Safety Administration ( A.K.A Musk’ssworn enemy)announcedit ’s significantly expand its probe into Tesla ’s Autopilot driver help feature .
NHTSAlaunchedits probe last twelvemonth following around a twelve accounts of Autopilot employ Teslas reportedly throw themselves at first answerer vehicles . Since then , the NHTSA tell it has added six extra crashes to its investigation . The widened probe now embrace 830,000 Tesla Model Y , X , S , and 3 vehicles sold between 2014 and 2021 . The regulators claim the Tesla ’s being investigated have lead in 16 crashes that have left 15 the great unwashed wound and one dead .
Rescue workers proceed with caution around the spot where a Tesla slammed into a tree in Baarn, on 5 February 2025.Photo: Robin Vaan Lonkhuijsen (Getty Images)
In a statement sent to Gizmodo , an NHTSA spokesperson substantiate it was upping its investigation from a “ preliminary rating ” of Autopilot to an “ engineering analysis . ” That young condition will countenance regulators extend crash analyses , execute fomite evaluation , and , “ explore the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exasperate human factors or behavioral safety risks by weaken the effectiveness of the driver ’s supervision . ” The engineering science analytic thinking degree , The Washington Postnotes , is typically the final degree of an investigation before the NHTSA would issue a recall .
The text file claims Tesla ’s Autopilot feature issue forward collision alerts in a majority of the 16 crash . Tesla ’s Automated braking engaged in around half of the case . On medium , the papers claims Autopilot “ aborted fomite restraint , ” less than one 2nd prior to impact .
In their statement , the NHTSA representative made a point that , “ no commercially available motor vehicles today are up to of drive themselves , ” a distinction Musk has previouslystruggledto make clear .
“ Every available vehicle require the human driver to be in control at all times , and all State law hold the human driver creditworthy for mental process of their vehicle , ” the representative added . “ Certain forward-looking drive aid features can promote safety by facilitate driver avoid crashes and palliate the rigor of crashes that happen , but as with all technologies and equipment on motor vehicles , drivers must apply them aright and responsibly . ”
Gizmodo pass out to Tesla for comment but has n’t take heed back .
Tesla has already faced recalls over other aspects of its self - drive technical school . Last November the company was force torecall11,704 vehicles due to a software bug that could reportedly result in “ false forward - hit warnings ’’ or automatic braking . More late , Tesla had to hark back 53,822 vehicles equipped with its Full ego Driving beta overconcernsthat its new number one wood profile setting were encouraging vehicles to engage in illegal rolling stops at intersections .
All of that minus attention has resulted in a plateauing outcome on consumer self-confidence in automated driving systems . Apollconducted earlier this class found a hearty absolute majority ( 63 % ) of U.S. grownup said they would not want to hinge on in a driverless fomite if they had the opportunity . Worse still , 44 % of adults said they thought the widespread deployment of driverless vehicle would be a net bad for society , compared to 26 % who thought they ’d be full . Safety remains a preponderant issue . agree to a disjoined Aprilsurveyconducted by Morning Consult , just 19 % of U.S. adults enjoin they think driverless vehicles were safer than traditional gondola . That ’s an 8 % dip from the 27 % who said they think driverless engineering science was safe in 2018 .
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