The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating 30 Tesla accidents, 10 of which were fatal. They suspected the use of advanced driver assistance systems, such as autopilot.
The US safety regulator has provided Reuters with a list of investigations, which is the first complete report on all car accident investigations using advanced Tesla driver assistance. We have contacted NHTSA for comments and are awaiting a response. We would have done the same with Tesla, but the California automaker has closed its press office since 2020.
Although autopilot was thought to be the cause of all crashes, not all investigations confirmed that the controversial system was used. In three of the 30 cases, autopilot was ruled out as a factor.
Detailed information about accidents is not available. The list includes only the state and the month in which the accident occurred. However, it shows that NHTSA has launched eight investigations into Tesla since March.
Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the autopilot has been involved in at least three fatal crashes since 2016. The board also criticized Tesla’s inability to implement effective safety measures for the autopilot, which can be used for long periods of time without the driver interacting with the steering wheel. Moreover, Consumer Reports has shown that the system can be used without an external driver.
Indeed, one of the main criticisms of Tesla’s advanced driver assistance tools is that they mistakenly encourage drivers to abuse the technology, believing it to be more capable than it actually is.
The NABDD also noted six other investigations involving other companies.
Two of them are related to Cadillac, one incident related to the 2012 Lexus RX450H and the other to the 2017 Navya Arma, but no one was injured. The last two concerned a Volvo XC90, one of which was operated by Uber and was involved in the death of a pedestrian.
Read also about the fact that the power reserve of the fastest Tesla Model S Plaid has been reduced by 68 km due to large wheels.
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