[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into Tesla’s assisted driving system known as Autopilot.\u00a0 According to NHTSA, there have been 11 identified incidents involving Tesla vehicles using Autopilot or its adaptive cruise control system and parked emergency vehicles.\u00a0 The investigation will include Tesla Models S, X, Y, and 3 for model years 2014-2021.<\/p>\n
Tesla’s Autopilot has been frequently accused of being poorly named, as autopilot implies that the vehicle can drive itself.\u00a0 There have been numerous reports of Tesla drivers abusing Autopilot, including driving drunk, sleeping behind the wheel, and even an infamous incident in California where a driver was riding in the backseat while Autopilot was enabled.\u00a0 If used properly, however, Autopilot appears to significantly reduce the risk of a crash.\u00a0 Tesla has recently implemented a safety feature that includes monitoring drivers to ensure they are paying attention to the road while the vehicle is in Autopilot mode.<\/p>\n
The NHTSA investigation will seek to determine if there is a specific flaw with Tesla’s driver-assist features.\u00a0 Most of the crashes that will be investigated occurred at night and involved safety equipment, including road flares, road cones, and an arrow board.\u00a0 Seven of these collisions resulted in 17 injuries and one fatality.\u00a0 NHTSA has investigated at least 25 crashes resulting in 10 deaths involving Tesla’s using Autopilot since June 2016.<\/p>\n