Tesla’s Autopilot System Investigated by the U.S. Government

By Roxana Ion

Posted on August 19, 2021

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Tesla’s Autopilot system has become a sensitive subject after the software encountered ongoing issues recognizing emergency vehicles.

As a consequence, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to investigate the case. The investigation will take into consideration Tesla Models Y, X, S, as well as 3 vehicles launched between 2014 and 2021 – this means a total of 765,000 vehicles.

The NHTSA hopes this will “assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation.”

According to a Reuters report, the NHTSA found that since 2018 there were 11 crashes in which Tesla cars on autopilot or cruise control were involved.

The report says the cars’ software failed to identify red flashing lights, flares, illuminated arrow boards or hazard cones and “encountered first responder scenes and subsequently struck one or more vehicles involved with those scenes. Unfortunately, the crashes concluded with 17 injured people and led to one death.