Autopilot, which maintains speed in traffic and can control road turns, has been the subject of numerous safety investigations. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News
Tesla will roll out updates to more than 2 million vehicles to prevent drivers from abusing its Autopilot system after hundreds of crashes involving the technology, some of which were fatal.
US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. (NHTSA) said the electric vehicle maker will make the changes amid concerns that motorists are not paying attention to the road when the system is activated.
This comes after a two-year investigation into Tesla crashes with emergency vehicles while Autopilot was activated. .
Autopilot, which maintains speed in traffic and can steer around curves in the road, has been the subject of numerous safety investigations and has been criticized for encouraging Tesla owners to place too much faith in driver-assist technologies.
At least 736 According to safety regulators , since 2019, autopilot has been involved in accidents, 17 of which were fatal.
The number has increased dramatically over the past two years as drivers have been given access to a more comprehensive Full Self-Driving system.
Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, insists that the system's widespread adoption is justified and that the technology results in fewer crashes than when people are behind the wheel.
Autopilot requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel. and warns them to be alert and in control of the vehicle, but the safety agency said the current level of enforcement «may not be sufficient to prevent driver abuse.»
Tesla has come under fire from U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, who suggested Autopilot's branding was misleading.
The NHTSA investigation began after it found 11 incidents of vehicles colliding with emergency vehicles, such as hit-and-run accidents. the emergency lights turn on the parked police car and he rushes across the blocked road into the empty police car. Tesla is warning customers that its vehicles may be unable to detect emergency vehicles.
NHTSA said Tesla will include additional controls, such as making visual alerts more visible, making it easier to turn the automatic steering feature on and off, and disabling the feature if drivers cannot demonstrate they are driving responsibly.
The update will apply to all 2 million vehicles with Autopilot technology sold in the United States since 2012. It is unclear whether it will apply to cars sold abroad.