NHTSA Launches Investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” Software Following Crashes
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software following four crashes in low-visibility conditions, including one fatal incident involving a pedestrian. The probe aims to determine if the software can effectively detect and respond to reduced visibility situations such as sun glare, fog, or dust.
The investigation comes on the heels of Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent unveiling of the “Cybercab,” a prototype robotaxi. Musk has claimed that Tesla’s Model 3 and Model Y vehicles will be capable of unsupervised operation in California and Texas by 2025.
This new probe follows NHTSA’s recent closure of a three-year investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system, which involved nearly 500 crashes, including 13 fatal incidents.
Tesla is currently facing multiple legal and regulatory challenges. The Department of Justice scrutinizes claims about the company’s driver-assistance features, while the California Department of Motor Vehicles has accused Tesla of overstating its software’s capabilities. The automaker is also involved in several lawsuits related to Autopilot crashes, having settled a high-profile case earlier this year.
The four crashes under investigation occurred between November 2023 and May 2024. In November 2023, a Model Y struck and killed a pedestrian in Rimrock, Arizona. Subsequent incidents include a Model 3 colliding with another car during a dust storm in Nipton, California in January 2024, a Model 3 crashing into another vehicle in cloudy conditions in Red Mills, Virginia in March 2024, and a Model 3 hitting a stationary object in foggy conditions in Collinsville, Ohio in May 2024, resulting in injuries.
NHTSA has classified the investigation as a Preliminary Evaluation, the second level in its four-tier probe system. The agency typically aims to complete such evaluations within eight months. As part of the investigation, NHTSA will also examine whether other similar crashes have occurred beyond the reported incidents.
This ongoing investigation underscores the growing scrutiny of advanced driver-assistance systems and their safety implications as the automotive industry moves towards increased automation.