The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating whether Tesla’s recent recall of approximately 2 million vehicles in the US due to its “Autopilot” feature was sufficient to address safety concerns. The NHTSA launched a two-year investigation into around 1,000 crashes involving Autopilot last year and found that it gave drivers an overconfidence in their abilities while driving and could be misused in certain hazardous circumstances where the technology is unable to safely navigate roads.
Tesla’s recall involved a software update which required owners to opt-in, allowing them to easily reverse the change. The NHTSA stated that this move prompts it to “further evaluate the adequacy of the remedy” through its latest probe into Tesla and CEO Elon Musk’s efforts to market cars as self-driving vehicles.
The investigation identified at least 13 deaths from Autopilot mishaps alongside severe accidents caused by “apparent driver misuse.” Despite being named ‘Autopilot,’ the feature is only intended for use on highways and restricted access roads when a fully focused operator drives it, as indicated in Tesla’s manuals. The company did not reply to requests for comment from CNN concerning this matter.
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