WASHINGTON — U.S. auto security regulators stated Wednesday they’d recognized a twelfth crash involving Tesla Inc. autos that have been utilizing superior driver-assistance programs in incidents involving emergency autos.
The Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration on Aug. 16 stated it had opened a proper security probe into Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assistance system after 11 crashes.
The twelfth occurred in Orlando, Fla., on Saturday, NHTSA stated. The company despatched Tesla an 11-page letter with questions, dated Tuesday, as a part of its investigation.
Tesla’s Autopilot handles some driving duties and permits drivers to maintain their palms off the wheel for prolonged intervals. Tesla says Autopilot allows autos to steer, speed up and brake routinely inside their lane.
Tesla didn’t instantly reply to a request in search of remark.
On Saturday, the Florida Freeway Patrol stated a Florida trooper who had stopped to help a disabled motorist on a serious freeway was struck by a Tesla.
The Florida Freeway Patrol stated a Tesla in Autopilot mode struck the patrol automobile. “Trooper was outdoors of automobile and very fortunate to haven’t been struck,” the company stated in a tweet.
NHTSA stated earlier it had studies of 17 accidents and one loss of life within the 11 crashes, together with the December 2019 crash of a Tesla Mannequin 3 that left a passenger useless after the car collided with a parked hearth truck in Indiana.
Tesla in July launched an choice for some clients to subscribe to its superior driver-assistance software program, dubbed “Full Self-Driving functionality.” Tesla says the present options “don’t make the car autonomous.”
Among the many questions NHTSA needs Tesla to reply is the “date and mileage at which the ‘Full Self Driving’ (FSD) choice was enabled” for all autos together with all client complaints, subject studies, crash studies and lawsuits.
NHTSA additionally needs Tesla to elucidate its “strategies and applied sciences used to stop topic system utilization outdoors” the operational design area.
NHTSA additionally requested Tesla to elucidate “testing and validation required previous to the discharge of the topic system or an in-field replace to the topic system, together with {hardware} and software program parts of such programs.”
NHTSA additionally requested Tesla to reveal any modifications or adjustments that “could also be integrated into car manufacturing or pushed to topic autos within the subject throughout the subsequent 120 days.”
Tesla should reply to NHTSA’s questions by Oct. 22, the regulator stated.
Audrey LaForest of Automotive Information contributed to this report.