The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) feature following reports of four crashes, including one that resulted in a pedestrian’s death.
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According to NHTSA, the FSD system failed to “react appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” The crashes occurred in situations of “reduced roadway visibility” due to factors like sun glare, fog, or airborne dust, all while the vehicles’ FSD mode was engaged.
“In one of the crashes, the Tesla vehicle fatally struck a pedestrian,” NHTSA reported. Another incident resulted in a reported injury.
The investigation will cover an estimated 2.4 million Tesla vehicles, including 2016-2024 Models S and X vehicles, 2017-2024 Model 3 vehicles, 2020-2024 Model Y vehicles, and 2023-2024 model year Cybertrucks, all equipped with the FSD system.
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Focus of the Investigation
NHTSA’s preliminary examination will focus on the FSD system’s ability to “detect and respond appropriately to reduced roadway visibility conditions.” Additionally, the agency will investigate whether other similar FSD-related crashes have occurred under reduced visibility conditions, as well as any software updates Tesla may have made that could affect the FSD system’s performance in such conditions.
Tesla’s Statement on FSD
Tesla’s website states that:
“The currently enabled Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (Supervised) features require active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”.
Previous Recall
This investigation follows a December recall of approximately two million Tesla vehicles due to issues with its autopilot system. Tesla addressed those concerns with a software update.
“We at Tesla believe that we have a moral obligation to continue improving our already best-in-class safety systems,” the company said at the time. “At the same time, we also believe it is morally indefensible not to make these systems available to a wider set of consumers, given the incontrovertible data that shows it is saving lives and preventing injury.”
