US to probe Tesla’s ‘Full Self-Driving’ system after pedestrian killed in low visibility conditions

DETROIT (AP) — The U.S. authorities’s street security company is once more investigating Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system, this time after getting experiences of crashes in low-visibility circumstances, together with one which killed a pedestrian.

The Nationwide Freeway Security Administration says in paperwork that it opened the probe on Thursday with the corporate reporting 4 crashes after Teslas entered areas of low visibility, together with solar glare, fog and airborne mud.

Along with the pedestrian’s loss of life, one other crash concerned an harm, the company mentioned.

Investigators will look into the power of “Full Self-Driving” to “detect and reply appropriately to diminished roadway visibility circumstances, and if that’s the case, the contributing circumstances for these crashes.”

The investigation covers roughly 2.4 million Teslas from the 2016 via 2024 mannequin years.

A message was left early Friday looking for remark from Tesla, which has repeatedly mentioned the system can’t drive itself and human drivers have to be able to intervene always.

Final week Tesla held an occasion at a Hollywood studio to unveil a completely autonomous robotaxi with out a steering wheel or pedals. CEO Elon Musk mentioned the corporate plans to have absolutely autonomous autos working with out human drivers subsequent yr, and robotaxis accessible in 2026.

The company additionally mentioned it could look into whether or not some other comparable crashes involving “Full Self-Driving” have occurred in low visibility circumstances, and it’ll search data from the corporate on whether or not any updates affected the system’s efficiency in these circumstances.

“Specifically, his evaluate will assess the timing, goal and capabilities of any such updates, in addition to Telsa’s evaluation of their security influence,” the paperwork mentioned.

Tesla has twice recalled “Full Self-Driving” underneath strain from the company, which in July sought data from regulation enforcement and the corporate after a Tesla utilizing the system struck and killed a motorcyclist close to Seattle.

The recollects have been issued as a result of the system was programmed to run cease indicators at sluggish speeds and since the system disobeyed different visitors legal guidelines.

Critics have mentioned that Tesla’s system, which makes use of solely cameras to identify hazards, doesn’t have correct sensors to be absolutely self driving. Practically all different firms engaged on autonomous autos use radar and laser sensors along with cameras to see higher in the dead of night or poor visibility circumstances.