US authorities have been alerted by a new tweet from Elon Musk.
The billionaire is said to have hinted that Autopilot security could be suspended for a category of users.
An ambiguous tweet at the origin of the alert
It all starts, typically when it comes to Elon Musk, with a tweet. On December 31, a social media user suggested that Tesla’s Autopilot Full Self-Driving (FSD) failsafe option be disabled for drivers who have exceeded 10,000 miles (about 16,000 kilometers). . This prevention system obliges the user to tighten the steering wheel to show that he is still alert.
A proposal to which the boss of Tesla responded with a terse message: “ I am okay. An update is coming in January “. It was enough to alert the American authority in charge of driving safety, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). She quickly got in touch with the car manufacturer, in order to “ gather additional information “.
NHTSA investigating Tesla
According to Reuters, NHTSA has opened dozens of Tesla vehicle crash investigation files since 2016, potentially using Autopilot at the time of the crash. A total of 19 deaths were recorded in these cases.
The American regulator has confirmed that this new information on the FSD was linked to its investigations. He seeks to know how the accidents could have taken place when most of the time, the drivers had respected the obligations imposed by the Autopilot safety system.
Tesla’s Autopilot allows the vehicle to accelerate and brake in a lane without driver input. The Full Self-Driving software, sold as an additional feature at $15,000 in the United States, also offers the possibility of changing lanes and parking the car automatically.
Source : Reuters
10