On March 23, 2018, a Tesla Model X burst into flames after a collision on U.S. Highway 101 in Mountain View, California.
S. Engerman | via Reuters
Federal authorities say ‘serious security breach’ exists TeslaAutonomous driving systems have caused at least 467 crashes, 13 of which resulted in fatalities and “many others” with serious injuries.
Research results come from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration analysis Tesla Autopilot was believed to be in use in 956 accidents. Results from the nearly three-year survey were released on Friday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report said Tesla’s Autopilot design “resulted in foreseeable misuse and avoidable accidents.” The system did not “sufficiently ensure driver attention and appropriate use”.
The agency also said it was launching a new investigation into the effectiveness of a software update Tesla released during the December recall. The update is intended to fix an Autopilot flaw discovered by NHTSA during the same investigation.
The voluntary recall, conducted through an over-the-air software update, covers 2 million Tesla vehicles in the United States and is designed to specifically improve Tesla driver monitoring systems equipped with Autopilot.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in a report on Friday that the software update may not be sufficient as more crashes related to self-driving cars continue to be reported.
In the most recent example, a Tesla driver struck and killed a motorcyclist in Snohomish County, Washington, on April 19, according to records obtained by CNBC and NBC News. The driver told police he was using Autopilot at the time of the crash.
NHTSA’s findings are the latest in a series of regulator and watchdog reports questioning the safety of Tesla’s self-driving technology, which the company has promoted as key to competing with other car companies the difference.
on its websiteTesla said Autopilot is designed to reduce driver “workload” through advanced cruise control and automatic steering technology.
Tesla has not yet responded to Friday’s NHTSA report or to requests for comment sent to Tesla’s news inbox, its investor relations team and Lars Moravy, the company’s vice president of automotive engineering. Request for comment.
Earlier this month, Tesla settled a lawsuit brought by the family of Walter Huang, an Apple engineer and father of two who was driving a Tesla Model X with Autopilot. He was killed in a car accident when he hit a highway guardrail. Tesla tried to hide the terms of the settlement from public view.
Faced with these incidents, Tesla and Chief Executive Musk said this week that they are betting the company’s future on autonomous driving.
“If someone doesn’t believe Tesla is going to solve the self-driving problem, I don’t think they should be an investor in the company,” Musk said on Tesla’s earnings call on Tuesday. “We will, and we do,” he added.
Musk has promised customers and shareholders for years that Tesla would be able to turn its existing cars into self-driving vehicles through software updates. However, the company only offers driver assistance systems and has not yet produced self-driving vehicles.
He also made safety claims about Tesla’s driver-assistance systems but did not allow third parties to review the company’s data.
For example, in 2021, Elon Musk claimed in a post on social media”, “Teslas with Autopilot enabled are now 10 times less likely to be involved in an accident than a regular vehicle.
Philip Koopman, automotive safety researcher Carnegie Mellon University The associate professor of computer engineering said he believes Tesla’s marketing and claims are “self-cleaning.” In response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report, he also expressed hope that Tesla would take the agency’s concerns seriously and move forward.
“People are dying because they have lost faith in Tesla’s Autopilot capabilities. Even simple steps can improve safety,” Koopman said. “Tesla can automatically limit the use of Autopilot to predetermined roads based on map data already in the car. Tesla can improve monitoring functions so that drivers are not often addicted when using Autopilot. cell phone.
NBC’s Robert Wile contributed to this report.
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