WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Portal) – U.S. auto safety agencies on Thursday asked Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) to answer questions about its vehicle camera designed to monitor driver awareness as part of an investigation of 830,000 Tesla vehicles that the automaker’s advanced vehicles employ a driver assistance system called Autopilot.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is evaluating Autopilot’s performance after previously identifying a dozen accidents in which Tesla vehicles hit stopped emergency vehicles.
In June, it upgraded its probe to do technical analysis — a necessary step before it could potentially request a recall.
NHTSA’s nine-page letter asks Tesla to answer questions about “the role the cabin camera plays in enforcing driver engagement/attention” by October 12.
According to Tesla, the cabin camera — a camera located above the rearview mirror — can detect driver inattention and provide audible alerts to remind the driver to keep their eyes on the road when Autopilot is engaged.
NHTSA said it is looking for information on the “impact of the cabin camera on the types and timing of driver intervention alerts” as well as “recoverable data elements indicative of its influence.”
The agency said it wanted an explanation of “design decisions” used to enforce driver engagement, “including evidence justifying the period during which the driver is allowed to take their hands off the wheel before receiving a warning.”
The regulator is examining whether Tesla vehicles adequately ensure driver alertness. The agency said in June that evidence suggests drivers complied with Tesla’s warning strategy in most of the crashes examined, raising questions about its effectiveness.
Tesla, which has closed its press office, did not respond to a request for comment.
Consumer Reports said when evaluating Tesla’s attention-surveillance camera in late 2021, “We found that when the driver uses Autopilot and Full Self Driving (FSD) features, it was not sufficient to ensure that the driver was fully paying attention.” .”
The magazine said it could “block the camera inside, and the car wouldn’t issue a warning, slow the car down, or shut down the systems.”
In June, Consumer Reports said the company installed an over-the-air update that issues an alert if the camera is covered while FSD is on, but not on autopilot.
Autopilot will allow cars to automatically steer, accelerate and brake within their lane, while FSD will allow vehicles to obey traffic signs and change lanes.
In addition to the defective probe, since 2016, NHTSA has opened 38 special investigations into accidents involving Tesla vehicles suspected of using Autopilot or other advanced systems. A total of 19 deaths were reported in these Tesla-related investigations.
Separately, the California Department of Transportation has accused Tesla of falsely advertising the features as autonomous vehicle controls.
Tesla said in filings with the state released Thursday that it is seeking a hearing on the complaints and intends to present a defense. Continue reading
The California Department of Motor Vehicles is seeking remedies, which could include suspending Tesla’s license to sell vehicles in the state and requiring the company to provide drivers with a refund.
Reporting by David Shepardson and Hyunjoo Jin; Edited by Rosalba O’Brien
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