Home / Technology / Tesla Drivers Asleep? Lawmaker Demands Safety Action
Tesla Drivers Asleep? Lawmaker Demands Safety Action
10 Sep
Summary
- Lawmaker cites 43 videos of drivers asleep in Teslas.
- Agency urged to ensure safeguards against foreseeable misuse.
- NHTSA probes Tesla's Full Self-Driving systems.
A Democratic lawmaker has called on the U.S. auto safety agency to take action regarding the misuse of Tesla's Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi cited a report identifying 43 videos that appear to show drivers asleep or disengaged while operating Teslas.
Krishnamoorthi urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to ensure manufacturers have adequate safeguards and that drivers are not encouraged to over-rely on systems requiring full attention. He also questioned if NHTSA has evaluated Tesla's cabin camera detection when visibility is impaired.
This comes as NHTSA is probing Tesla's Full Self-Driving system, concerned about potential failures in detecting issues or warning drivers in poor visibility. Previous investigations were opened into nearly 3 million Tesla vehicles following reports of traffic safety violations and crashes attributed to the FSD system's behavior.
