Tesla Autopilot NHTSA probe moves forward, will be compared with OEM systems

Credit: teslaphotographer/Instagram

Tesla’s Autopilot probe conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is now moving forward as the agency is requesting information from twelve other manufacturers that also have driver assistance systems. The NHTSA sent letters to various automotive companies requesting information on Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) for a comparative analysis, the letters state.

According to the NHTSA’s website, numerous documents associated with the Tesla Autopilot probe were added on September 13th. The documents were letters sent to automakers BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Toyota, Ford, Nissan, Setllantis, Kia, Volkswagen, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, and Subaru.

Credit: Tesla

The letter described the ongoing investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control systems, indicating that the NHTSA requested information on comparative systems to investigate various actions like steering controls and braking and accelerating.

The letter to BMW states:

“This information request is being sent to BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) to gather information in support of ODI’s comparative analysis amongst production vehicles equipped with the ability to control both steering and braking/accelerating simultaneously under some circumstances.”

The letter is identical to the other eleven OEMs that the NHTSA requested information from.

According to the company’s accident data that it publishes each quarter, Tesla Autopilot is the safest way to operate a vehicle. The most recently posted data shows statistics from Q1 2021 and indicates that Tesla vehicles were driven 4.19 million miles under autopilot before an accident occurred. NHTSA statistics list the national average as 484,000 miles driven between accidents.

In mid-August, the NHTSA launched an investigation into 765,000 affected Tesla vehicles with model years from 2014 to 2021. The investigation was launched due to eleven instances of Tesla vehicles crashing into emergency vehicles since 2018. The vehicles were allegedly operating with Autopilot of Traffic Aware Cruise Control. The NHTSA investigation expanded to twelve incidents when another Tesla accident occurred in Orlando, Florida, shortly after the launch of the investigation. The driver stated the car was on Autopilot, but this has not yet been confirmed.

The NHTSA investigation is expected to take some time, perhaps 18 months, former Ford CEO Mark Fields recently said. However, Tesla’s Autopilot system is on the line depending on the results of the investigation. If the NHTSA finds the system was at fault, it could recall the system and halt the advancement of automated driving assistance features for several years.

Tesla is required to submit information regarding the twelve involved vehicles, such as VIN number, software, hardware, and firmware versions to the NTHSA before October 22nd, 2021.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, or be sure to email me at joey@teslarati.com or on Twitter @KlenderJoey.

Joey Klender: Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his time at TESLARATI, Joey has broken several big stories, including the first images of the Tesla Model S Plaid, the imminent release of the 4680 Model Y through EPA certification, and several expansions to the Lucid AMP-1 factory in Arizona, to name a few. His stories have been featured in several publications, including Yahoo! Finance, Fox News, CNET, and Seeking Alpha. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on Twitter @KlenderJoey.
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