nhtsa conclude tesla autopilot investigation
NHTSA concludes Tesla Autopilot investigation after linking the system to 14 deaths
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has concluded an investigation into Tesla's Autopilot driver assistance system after reviewing hundreds of crashes, including 13 fatal incidents that led to 14 deaths. The organization has ruled that these accidents were due to driver misuse of the system. However, the NHTSA also found that "Tesla's weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot's permissive operating capabilities." Riders using Autopilot or the company's Full Self-Driving technology "were not sufficiently engaged," because Tesla "did not adequately ensure that drivers maintained their attention on the driving task." The organization investigated nearly 1,000 crashes from January of 2018 until August of 2023, accounting for 29 total deaths.