Teslas with Autopilot are closer to recall amid elevated investigation into collisions in US
- The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that it is upgrading its Tesla probe to an engineering analysis
- Documents from the agency looking into Tesla collisions all but say the electric vehicle maker’s method of ensuring drivers pay attention is not good enough
Teslas with partially automated driving systems are a step closer to being recalled after the US elevated its investigation into a series of collisions with parked emergency vehicles or trucks with warning signs.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday that it is upgrading the Tesla probe to an engineering analysis, another sign of increased scrutiny of the electric vehicle maker and automated systems that perform at least some driving tasks.
Documents posted Thursday by the agency raise some serious issues about Tesla’s Autopilot system. The agency found that it’s being used in areas where its capabilities are limited, and that many drivers aren’t taking action to avoid crashes despite warnings from the vehicle.
The probe now covers 830,000 vehicles, almost everything that the Austin, Texas, carmaker has sold in the US since the start of the 2014 model year.
NHTSA reported that it has found 16 crashes into emergency vehicles and trucks with warning signs, causing 15 injuries and one death.