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Is NHTSA Getting Ready to Formally Investigate Tesla’s Autopilot?

Is NHTSA Getting Ready to Formally Investigate Tesla's Autopilot?

Newly disclosed records may suggest that the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is preparing a formal investigation into Tesla Inc.’s semi-autonomous driver-assist system, Autopilot.

According to The Detroit News, the agency has issued at least five subpoenas since April 2018 for information about Tesla vehicle crashes, as NHTSA’s correspondence with Tesla shows. Plainsite obtained these documents, and a legal transparency group made a public records request for communications regarding Autopilot.

According to the records, NHTSA has also asked Tesla to provide results of internal tests on a sub-component of the Model 3 sedan’s automatic emergency braking system and sales figures of vehicles sold with and without Autopilot since mid-2016, among other requests.

Experts say the subpoenas show that NHTSA has concerns about Autopilot’s performance. They could also mean the agency is gathering information supporting a formal investigation.

Autopilot Not Designed for Our Roads

NHTSA doesn’t have an active defect probe into Tesla, and it might not open one. Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk,, has defended Autopilot, saying the system enhances safety and makes vehicles safer. NHTSA sent the subpoenas and other requests amid a series of high-profile Tesla crashes in early 2018, which drew scrutiny from federal agencies and safety advocates alike.

According to records, two subpoenas were issued on March 11, with one seeking information and data about a Tesla that crashed just 10 days prior in Delray Beach, Florida, where a Model 3 driver was killed when the car crashed into the side of a semi-truck while the Autopilot was engaged. Both the NTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have investigated some Tesla crashes in recent years.

In 2017, the NTSB found that Tesla’s Autopilot design, which allowed drivers to engage it on roads for which it was not designed, contributed to a fatal 2016 crash in Florida involving a Model S.

Records released earlier this month show that the NHTSA has continued to closely monitor Tesla’s Autopilot feature even after it closed an earlier investigation into the system that found no defect. In May, Consumer Reports called on NHTSA to conduct another inquiry into Autopilot. Consumer Reports criticized Tesla for allowing the system to be used on roads it is unable to handle.

Still Unsafe

Our auto defect lawyers have maintained that Tesla’s Autopilot is not ready for our roadways. Autopilot is only a semi-autonomous feature that continually requires the driver’s attention. However, its name is misleading to drivers, lulling them into a false sense of security.

As a result, we see drivers engage in Autopilot and doze off or use Autopilot after a few drinks. These are dangerous driving habits that could have catastrophic consequences.

We hope NHTSA conducts a thorough and formal investigation of Tesla’s Autopilot system. It should not be out there if it’s not ready for our current roadway system.

Source: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2019/08/08/tesla-subpoena-may-presage-federal-probe/39931141/

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California Personal Injury Blog