NHTSA upgrades Tesla Autopilot probe, could lead to recall
(2022/06/09)
- Reference: 1654808413
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/06/09/nhtsa_tesla_autopilot/
- Source link:
An investigation into the safety of Tesla's autopilot system has been upgraded from a preliminary peek to a formal engineering analysis, a step that could put the Musk-owned motor company on the path to a recall of nearly one million vehicles.
The investigation, being conducted by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), [1]began last year due to a series of crashes in which a Tesla with Autopilot engaged crashed into in-road or with roadside emergency vehicles responding to existing accidents.
The NHTSA's investigation is limited to 2014-2022 Tesla Y, X, S and 3 vehicles, of which it estimates 830,000 are affected.
[2]
In the course of its preliminary investigation, the NHTSA said it found reasons "to explore the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver's supervision."
[3]
[4]
Put another way, the agency is concerned that Autopilot is making people behave badly behind the wheel.
In all, 16 accidents were investigated as part of the probe, and 106 additional wrecks that followed the same pattern but didn't involve emergency vehicles, were considered. "In approximately half of the … 106 crashes, indications existed that the driver was insufficiently responsive," the NHTSA said in its letter [5]reporting [PDF] the upgrade.
[6]
Additionally, a quarter of the accidents involved Autopilot being used in an area where it wasn't designed to be used, like a surface street or in a low-visibility environment. Drivers also apparently had their hands on the wheel in 86 percent of the cases for which that data was available.
[7]Cars in driver-assist mode hit a third of cyclists, all oncoming cars in tests
[8]Tesla employee: I was fired after sharing video of self-driving car crash
[9]'Boombox' function sparks Tesla recall
[10]Tesla to disable 'self-driving' feature that allowed vehicles to roll past stop signs at junctions
NHTSA's preliminary evaluations are largely reviews of complaints and manufacturer documents and records, and upon conclusion are either closed or elevated to engineering analyses. In the latter case, "an engineering analysis (EA) is undertaken if data from a preliminary evaluation indicate further examination of a potential safety defect is warranted. The results of an EA determine whether a safety recall should be initiated or the investigation should be closed," the NHTSA said.
NHTSA didn't say whether Autopilot was specifically at fault, and the EA will likely be trying to determine whether driver attentiveness or Autopilot programming was actually the result of the accidents. According to the PE, forward collision warnings activated in the majority of incidents, while automatic emergency braking only activated in half the collisions examined. "On average in these crashes, Autopilot aborted vehicle control less than one second prior to the first impact," the NHTSA said.
In 2020, a Tesla Model X [11]plowed into two parked police vehicles investigating an additional car, resulting in serious injuries to five human officers and a canine cop named Kodiak. The officers sued Tesla, claiming Autopilot is defective and Tesla vehicles unsafe.
An additional Tesla accident earlier this year resulted in the [12]first-ever US case of an individual being charged with vehicular manslaughter when their Model S went through an intersection with Autopilot engaged, striking a Honda Civic and killing two people.
[13]
Tesla, which disbanded its PR department in 2020, has not responded to a request for comment. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/16/tesla_autopilot_investigation_us_odi/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
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[5] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2022/INOA-EA22002-3184.PDF
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/16/automous_car_ada_system_tests/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/21/in_brief_ai/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/11/tesla/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/01/tesla_stop_sign_feature/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/28/texas_model_x_tesla_lawsuit/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/19/tesla_manslaughter_autopilot/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The investigation, being conducted by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), [1]began last year due to a series of crashes in which a Tesla with Autopilot engaged crashed into in-road or with roadside emergency vehicles responding to existing accidents.
The NHTSA's investigation is limited to 2014-2022 Tesla Y, X, S and 3 vehicles, of which it estimates 830,000 are affected.
[2]
In the course of its preliminary investigation, the NHTSA said it found reasons "to explore the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver's supervision."
[3]
[4]
Put another way, the agency is concerned that Autopilot is making people behave badly behind the wheel.
In all, 16 accidents were investigated as part of the probe, and 106 additional wrecks that followed the same pattern but didn't involve emergency vehicles, were considered. "In approximately half of the … 106 crashes, indications existed that the driver was insufficiently responsive," the NHTSA said in its letter [5]reporting [PDF] the upgrade.
[6]
Additionally, a quarter of the accidents involved Autopilot being used in an area where it wasn't designed to be used, like a surface street or in a low-visibility environment. Drivers also apparently had their hands on the wheel in 86 percent of the cases for which that data was available.
[7]Cars in driver-assist mode hit a third of cyclists, all oncoming cars in tests
[8]Tesla employee: I was fired after sharing video of self-driving car crash
[9]'Boombox' function sparks Tesla recall
[10]Tesla to disable 'self-driving' feature that allowed vehicles to roll past stop signs at junctions
NHTSA's preliminary evaluations are largely reviews of complaints and manufacturer documents and records, and upon conclusion are either closed or elevated to engineering analyses. In the latter case, "an engineering analysis (EA) is undertaken if data from a preliminary evaluation indicate further examination of a potential safety defect is warranted. The results of an EA determine whether a safety recall should be initiated or the investigation should be closed," the NHTSA said.
NHTSA didn't say whether Autopilot was specifically at fault, and the EA will likely be trying to determine whether driver attentiveness or Autopilot programming was actually the result of the accidents. According to the PE, forward collision warnings activated in the majority of incidents, while automatic emergency braking only activated in half the collisions examined. "On average in these crashes, Autopilot aborted vehicle control less than one second prior to the first impact," the NHTSA said.
In 2020, a Tesla Model X [11]plowed into two parked police vehicles investigating an additional car, resulting in serious injuries to five human officers and a canine cop named Kodiak. The officers sued Tesla, claiming Autopilot is defective and Tesla vehicles unsafe.
An additional Tesla accident earlier this year resulted in the [12]first-ever US case of an individual being charged with vehicular manslaughter when their Model S went through an intersection with Autopilot engaged, striking a Honda Civic and killing two people.
[13]
Tesla, which disbanded its PR department in 2020, has not responded to a request for comment. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2021/08/16/tesla_autopilot_investigation_us_odi/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2022/INOA-EA22002-3184.PDF
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/05/16/automous_car_ada_system_tests/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/03/21/in_brief_ai/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/11/tesla/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/01/tesla_stop_sign_feature/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/28/texas_model_x_tesla_lawsuit/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2022/01/19/tesla_manslaughter_autopilot/
[13] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/applications&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YqJtgOun4NJ34-xzFY-hvAAAAEw&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Stop calling it AutoPilot.
ShadowSystems
If a blind person can't climb in, tell the car where to go, & never have to touch the controls for any reason whatsoever, then stop calling it auto pilot, self driving, or any other phrase that implies the vehicle can drive itself.
You've done a decent step towards that by firing your PR department, but you Mister MoneyBags need to stop using those phrases, making those implications, & giving folks the impression that the car will be able to do the job on it's own.
Foxglove
'There are people stupid enough to believe him, and then they die in an avoidable fiery crash'
Yes, those stupid people might die. They probably have friends and family so that's not a good thing.
However they are culpable for their own demise. Those who might die as a result of their actions are absolutely not culpable and they also have friends and family who have then lost someone who did nothing to bring on their own demise. That that is worse in my opinion.
The 'stupid people' and Tesla are both definitely culpable for the loss of life.
The problem begins with it being called autopilot and then is exacerbated by musk going on about autonomous vehicles and how he wants to make a car with no steering wheel.
There are people stupid enough to believe him, and then they die in an avoidable fiery crash