Tesla's Troubling Road to Full Autonomy: A Safety Investigation

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Tesla's Full Self-Driving system after multiple crashes in poor visibility, one fatal. The probe will assess system updates and its response to such conditions in millions of Teslas. Tesla contends human intervention is still required.

The U.S. government's road safety agency has launched an investigation into Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" system following reports of crashes in conditions with limited visibility, one of which was fatal.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said in documentation that the investigation was initiated after Tesla disclosed four accidents under visibility-compromised conditions, including sun glare, fog, and dust. Among these incidents, one involved a pedestrian's death, and another resulted in an injury.

This probe affects nearly 2.4 million Tesla vehicles from model years 2016 to 2024, and aims to evaluate the system's ability to detect and respond to reduced visibility conditions. Further, it will analyze Tesla's updates impacting the system's performance, amid ongoing discussions on potential autonomous vehicle deployment.

(With inputs from agencies.)