Tesla reportedly instructed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remove details concerning the utilization of driver-assistance software from records related to crashes involving their vehicles. This revelation comes from an investigation by The New Yorker, which delved into Elon Musk’s connections with the US government.
An NHTSA spokesperson informed Insider by claiming, “Tesla requested redaction of fields of the crash report based on a claim that those fields contained confidential business information. The Vehicle Safety Act explicitly restricts NHTSA’s ability to release what the companies label as confidential information. Once any company claims confidentiality, NHTSA is legally obligated to treat it as confidential unless/until NHTSA goes through a legal process to deny the claim.”
Tesla did not respond immediately when asked for their comments by Insider, and they also did not respond to a similar inquiry from The New Yorker. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has been saying for a while that self-driving Teslas are coming soon. However, Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems have faced several issues.
Autopilot is software designed to assist drivers on highways. It’s included in all Tesla cars. On the other hand, Full Self-Driving is an additional feature that Tesla is testing, costing $15,000 per year. Full Self-Driving is more advanced compared to Autopilot. It enables cars to change lanes, recognize traffic signs and signals, and even park. But Tesla emphasizes that a driver entirely focused on driving should be in control of the car when using either of these features.
The Autopilot Safety Concerns and Investigations of Tesla
In June, The Washington Post reported that there have been 736 accidents and 17 deaths involving Teslas while using Autopilot mode since 2019. Steven Cliff, who used to work for a safety agency, told The New Yorker that he saw data suggesting that Tesla cars were in more crashes with emergency vehicles. But they haven’t decided if it’s the fault of human drivers or Tesla’s software.
In June 2021, a safety agency said they were checking if Tesla’s Autopilot caused 30 crashes where 10 people died between 2016 and 2021.
Two months later, they started another check because they found 11 crashes since 2018 where Teslas hit cars at places where emergency workers were. In 7 of these crashes, people got hurt, and in 1, someone died.
The safety agency said they would look at all Tesla models made from 2014 to 2021, around 765,000 cars. In June 2022, they expanded the check to look at data from 830,000 Tesla cars.
The Ongoing DOJ Investigation and Regulatory Scrutiny of Tesla’s Autonomous Driving Technology
An ongoing criminal investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been in progress concurrently. This matter pertains to Tesla and has gained attention due to its focus on the company’s vehicles’ Autopilot and Full Self-Driving capabilities. In a notable development, Tesla officially acknowledged in February that it had been approached by the DOJ, which had solicited specific documents relating to the features above.
The situation has garnered interest from legal and regulatory perspectives and within the broader public discourse on autonomous driving technologies. Tesla’s innovative strides in developing advanced driver assistance systems, particularly its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, have been celebrated for their potential to revolutionize transportation and scrutinized due to safety and regulatory compliance concerns.
Interestingly, amidst these developments, a spokesperson representing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shared insights with The New Yorker publication. In their statement, they emphasized that the investigation landscape remains intricate, with multiple ongoing inquiries contributing to the comprehensive examination of the matter. The fact that various investigations persist suggests the gravity of the situation and the complex layers that envelop the legal, technological, and regulatory aspects surrounding autonomous driving.
As the investigations unfold, the spotlight remains on Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, and the outcome of these inquiries could significantly influence the trajectory of autonomous driving technology adoption across the automotive industry. It underscores the delicate balance that must be struck between innovation, safety, and adherence to regulatory frameworks as the world navigates the evolving landscape of self-driving vehicles.
