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1 of 4 | The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is closing an investigation into nan autopilot controls connected definite Tesla models, while astatine nan aforesaid clip opening a caller probe into nan car maker’s hole of nan problem. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
April 26 (UPI) -- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed an investigation into nan Autopilot characteristic connected definite Tesla models, while astatine nan aforesaid clip opening a caller probe into nan car maker's hole of nan problem.
In a news merchandise issued Friday, nan administration's Office of Defects Investigation concluded much than a twelve fatal crashes involving Tesla vehicles were nan responsibility of nan driver incorrectly utilizing settings, and not exclusively Autopilot.
The ODI identified astatine slightest 13 crashes involving 1 aliases much fatalities "in which foreseeable driver misuse of nan strategy played an evident role," nan NHTSA said successful nan statement.
In December, Tesla announced a callback affecting astir 2 cardinal of its cars complete clang risks related to their autopilot controls.
A period prior, a assemblage successful California found nan institution was not responsible for a 2019 clang that killed a Model 3 proprietor and earnestly injured 2 passengers.
The caller NHTSA investigation announced Friday will now look astatine whether aliases not nan fixes implemented by nan Texas-based electrical conveyance adequately addressed nan issue.
"Following deployment of nan remedy successful (Tesla) Recall 23V838, ODI identified concerns owed to post-remedy clang events and results from preliminary NHTSA tests of remedied vehicles," nan management said successful nan connection Friday.
"Also, Tesla has stated that a information of nan remedy some requires nan proprietor to opt successful and allows a driver to readily reverse it. Tesla has besides deployed non-remedy updates to reside issues that look related to ODI's concerns nether [a recall]. This investigation will see why these updates were not a portion of nan callback aliases different wished to remedy a defect that poses an unreasonable information risk."
One of nan fixes announced by Tesla astatine nan clip was to restrict immoderate of nan Autopilot features.
Evidence discovered during nan erstwhile investigation discovered "Tesla's anemic driver engagement strategy was not due for Autopilot's permissive operating capabilities," nan ODI said successful documents released Friday.
"This mismatch resulted successful a captious information spread betwixt drivers' expectations of [Autopilot's] operating capabilities and nan system's existent capabilities. This spread led to foreseeable misuse and avoidable crashes."
The news comes aft Tesla earlier successful nan week released its 2024 first 4th financial results.
The institution had not responded to nan NHTSA news arsenic of 12 p.m. EDT Friday.
