Tesla to provide more info on driver alert system as US agency probes Autopilot

San Francisco, July 7

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has requested additional information from Elon Musk-Tesla to aid in their ongoing investigation into 8,30,000 Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot, the automaker's advanced driver assistance system.

According to TechCrunch, NHTSA sent Tesla a letter on July 3 seeking updated answers to questions it had asked in August 2022.

The questions focused on Tesla's cabin camera and driver monitoring system, which the automaker claims can detect if a driver is not paying attention and send noise alerts to remind them to keep their eyes on the road while Autopilot is engaged.

The NHTSA also inquired about how Tesla generates its quarterly safety reports. The agency has given Tesla until July 19 to respond to its questions using current data, the report said.

According to data collected until December 2022, the NHTSA has opened 41 Tesla special crash investigations where Autopilot was suspected of being used since 2016.

Within those crashes, 19 deaths were reported, the report mentioned. Autopilot has some automated driving features, such as the ability to steer, accelerate, and brake automatically within a highway lane.

Enhanced Autopilot can also help users change lanes. The most recent version of Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" beta software (FSD) combines these capabilities with city driving features such as responding to traffic signals and stop signs and turning.

However, neither Autopilot nor FSD is fully self-driving, and Tesla advises drivers to remain vigilant in case they need to take control of the vehicle.