NHTSA Opens Investigation into Tesla Autopilot after Crashes with Parked Emergency Vehicles
upstart writes:
U.S. auto regulators have opened a preliminary investigation into Tesla's Autopilot advanced driver assistance system, citing 11 incidents in which vehicles crashed into parked first responder vehicles while the system was engaged.
The Tesla vehicles involved in the collisions were confirmed to have either have had engaged Autopilot or a feature called Traffic Aware Cruise Control, according to investigation documents posted on the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration's [(NHTSA)] website. Most of the incidents took place after dark and occurred despite "scene control measures," such as emergency vehicle lights, road cones and an illuminated arrow board signaling drivers to change lanes.
"The investigation will assess the technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver's engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation," the document says.
The investigation covers around 765,000 Tesla vehicles that span all currently available models: Tesla Model Y, Model X, Model S and Model 3. The 11 incidents or fires resulted in 17 injuries and one fatality. They occurred between January 2018 and July 2021.
Read more of this story at SoylentNews.