The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is Full self-driving (FSD) function in relation to four accidents. The collisions took place in reduced visibility conditions with the beta or supervised version of FSD enabled. In a November 2023 incident in Arizona, a Model Y fatally struck a pedestrian, while grades. An injury was suffered in one of the other three collisions, which occurred between March and May of this year and all involved the Model 3.
NHTSA says conditions such as sun glare, fog and airborne dust reduced visibility in these incidents. The agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is investigating FSD's ability to “detect and appropriately respond to reduced visibility road conditions.” It will also attempt to determine if there have been other failures in similar circumstances with FSD enabled. The ODI will also investigate any changes made by Tesla to the system “that may affect the performance of the FSD in conditions of reduced visibility on the road.” “In particular, this review will evaluate the timing, purpose and capabilities of such updates, as well as Tesla's assessment of their impact on safety.”
In April, NHTSA investigated hundreds of crashes involving Tesla's Autopilot system. He said 13 of those accidents were fatal. The agency determined that in many of the crashes, drivers were “not sufficiently engaged” and that “the warnings provided by Autopilot when Autosteering was engaged did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the task of driving.” “.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said last week that the Model 3 and Model Y SUV will be able to operate unattended in California and Texas starting next year. At the same event, Musk, a two-seater robocab without a steering wheel or pedals that the company intends to start producing in 2027.
Tesla does not have a media relations department that can be reached for comment.
