DETROIT — The company’s Autopilot semi-automatic driving technology is present in more than 2 million vehicles, and federal highway safety investigators want Tesla to explain how and why it developed the repair.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the United States has 20 crash reports after the recall remedy was distributed as an online software update in December, raising doubts about the recall’s effectiveness.
The question of whether Autopilot should be permitted to run on roadways other than limited access highways was also addressed by the recall update. Increased warnings to drivers on roads with intersections served as a remedy.
US Seeks Information From Tesla On How It Developed And Verified Whether Autopilot Recall Worked
However, investigators said they were unable to distinguish between alerts to drivers to pay attention sent before the recall and following the installation of the revised software in a letter to Tesla that was published on the agency’s website on Tuesday. The agency stated that it would assess the effectiveness of driver warnings, particularly in cases where a driver-monitoring camera is obscured.
The government focused on how Tesla employed human behavior to test the efficacy of the recall after receiving voluminous information on the company’s development of the patch.
The letter, according to Phil Koopman, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University who specializes in automated driving safety, indicates that the recall was largely ineffective in resolving Autopilot issues and was instead an attempt to appease the NHTSA, which had requested the recall following more than two years of research.
Everyone watching can tell that Tesla attempted to take the least amount of action to see what they could get away with, according to Koopman. “And NHTSA needs to act quickly to prevent other automakers from releasing subpar solutions.”
Safety advocates have long feared that Autopilot was not intended for use on roads other than limited-access highways, despite the fact that it can keep a vehicle in its lane and at a safe distance from objects in front of it.
The NHTSA is reacting to lawmakers’ criticism for what they see as a lack of action on autonomous vehicles, according to Missy Cummings, a professor of engineering and computing at George Mason University and expert on automated vehicles.
“The feedback loop is functioning, despite how clumsy our government is,” Cummings stated. “I believe the leadership of the NHTSA is now persuaded that this is an issue.”
US Seeks Information From Tesla On How It Developed And Verified Whether Autopilot Recall Worked
In an 18-page letter, the NHTSA questions Tesla on how it applied human behavior science to Autopilot’s development and how important it is to include human factors.
Additionally, it requests that Tesla list all positions involving the assessment of human behavior along with the credentials of the employees. Additionally, it queries Tesla on the status of the positions.
The Associated Press contacted Tesla early on Tuesday to inquire about the letter.
Tesla is firing about 14,000 employees, or 10% of the company, as part of a cost-cutting measure to address declining worldwide sales.
Cummings expressed her suspicion that Elon Musk, the CEO, would have fired anyone who possessed knowledge of human behavior, a critical ability required to implement partially automated systems like Autopilot, which are incapable of operating on their own and necessitate human intervention at all times.
“You better have someone on your team that knows what they are doing in that sector if you’re going to have a technology that depends upon human interaction,” she stated.
According to Cummings, her research indicates that the human brain is left with limited functions once a driving system takes over human steering. Many drivers tend to check out and rely too much on the system.
She stated, “You can be a million miles away in your head, you can have your eyes on the road, and you can have your head fixed in one position.” “You won’t be made to pay attention by all the driver monitoring technologies in the world.”
The NHTSA also requests information from Tesla in its letter regarding how the recall remedy resolves driver misunderstanding regarding whether Autopilot has been turned off if they apply force to the steering wheel. In the past, drivers might not have realized immediately that they needed to take control of the vehicle if Autopilot had been disabled.
US Seeks Information From Tesla On How It Developed And Verified Whether Autopilot Recall Worked
A feature that provides a “more pronounced slowdown” to notify drivers when Autopilot has been turned off was added to the recall. However, drivers must manually activate the function; it is not done automatically by the recall remedy. Investigators questioned how many motorists have made that move.
Telsa is requesting NHTSA. “What do you mean that even though you have a cure, it never turns on?” stated Koopman.
According to him, the letter indicates that the NHTSA is investigating whether Tesla conducted tests to ensure the changes were effective. “After examining the solution, I found it difficult to accept that numerous analyses have demonstrated that these will enhance safety,” Koopman stated.
According to the agency, Tesla also released safety improvements following the recall patch to lessen hydroplaning-related crashes and collisions in high-speed turn lanes. The NHTSA declared that it would investigate Tesla’s decision to omit the changes from the initial recall.
According to safety experts, NHTSA may pursue additional recall remedies, impose restrictions on the Autopilot operating range, or even order Tesla to disable the technology until it is corrected.
In 2021, the NHTSA launched its Autopilot investigation in response to 11 instances of Teslas hitting parked emergency vehicles while operating on Autopilot. The NHTSA stated in documents outlining the reasons for the investigation’s termination owing to the recall that it eventually discovered 467 Autopilot-related collisions that resulted in 54 injuries and 14 fatalities.
SOURCE – (AP)
