The US auto safety regulator asked 12 major automakers to assist with their probe into the 12 crashes involving Tesla cars. This probe covers all the 765,000 Tesla vehicles in the country which were built between 2014-2021. The investigation is because the vehicles were known to be using the advanced driver assistance system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it sent out letters to 12 major automakers for assistance in this matter. These companies include Ford Motors, Volkswagen, Toyota, General Motors, and many others. The regulator will conduct a “comparative analysis” with other “production vehicles equipped with the ability to control both steering and braking/accelerating simultaneously under some circumstances.”
NHTSA is known to have opened a formal safety probe in August into Tesla driver assistance technology. This involves investigating all the 765,000 Tesla vehicles in the country. Tesla full self-driving technology can handle some driving tasks without the intervention of humans. In the past, many times Youtube videos of customers posting dangerous experiments have led to different misconceptions. Recently the Tesla FSD Beta 10 is known to have mind-blowing features as the company also increased the speed at which the vehicles could drive on their own.
Using data from other automakers
Being high time for NHTSA to work on working the Tesla car crashes, the agency asked 12 automakers to list crashes where the advanced driving system was used. States as the advanced driving system at “anytime during the period beginning 30 seconds immediately prior to the commencement of the crash.”
Furthermore, the letters to the companies also ask for details on advanced driver assistance systems, about whether it can ensure the driver is paying attention. It also asks about how their system can detect if the driver doesn’t pay attention. By November 3rd some companies are to respond and by November 17th for others. It also included the details, “strategies for detecting and responding to the presence of first responder/law enforcement vehicles.”
For Tesla, an 11-page letter was sent asking various questions for which the answers must be sent by October 22 without fail. NHTSA confirmed that they are investigating the reports which showed 17 injuries and one death of those 12 crashes. Also added that the investigation on a crash involving a 52-year-old man struck by a Tesla was also under investigation.
For years now, many Tesla crashes have been under investigation. As the software is being updated rapidly this year, the push to make sure the technology is safe for people is also increasing from NHTSA.
