The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is conducting a new investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system, specifically focusing on its safety in reduced roadway visibility conditions such as fog or glaring sun. This probe comes after incidents of FSD-involved collisions, including one that resulted in the death of a pedestrian. The NHTSA will assess the ability of FSD’s engineering controls to detect and respond to such conditions, as well as look into Tesla’s software updates to the system.
The investigation covers around 2.4 million Tesla vehicles on U.S. roads, including Model S, X, 3, Y, and Cybertruck models that offer the option to use FSD. The NHTSA has tracked over 1,300 incidents involving advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla’s, with 31 resulting in fatalities. Despite Tesla marketing FSD as a “partial driving automation system,” CEO Elon Musk has promised the development of “unsupervised FSD” in certain states next year.
Tesla has not yet produced a driverless vehicle that is safe for public roads without human intervention. The company did not respond to requests for comment on the NHTSA investigation. The recent focus on Tesla’s FSD system raises concerns about the safety and efficacy of autonomous driving technology and highlights the need for thorough testing and regulatory oversight in the development and deployment of such systems.
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