Add the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to the ranks of the Musk-led Tesla franchise of government watchdogs.
In a blog post, the NHTSA announced on Thursday that it has opened an investigation into the vehicle’s safety after hearing from two Colorado residents whose cars accelerated while Autopilot mode was engaged, skidding out of control and hitting a median.
Both drivers say they were monitoring the Tesla’s small computer, rather than using the driver-assist feature. The investigation involves Tesla vehicles on U.S. roads that are equipped with the Autopilot hardware. NHTSA says the investigation will examine whether the company has adequately addressed vehicle stability issues with the feature, and whether the system offers an adequate way to inform drivers that it is not and cannot be used while Autopilot is activated.
Tesla insisted its vehicles are not capable of using autopilot without a safety driver.
“Over the past few months, we have been investigating whether our newer Tesla models can be controlled without a driver’s hands on the steering wheel,” the company said in a blog post. “We discovered that while most vehicles can be driven at all times under these conditions with human oversight, it may be faster and more efficient for drivers to remain alert while the car is continuously keeping them aware of potential dangers. This is what Tesla taught its customers to do in a two-hour video that they received in their respective Model S vehicles the weekend of February 27th.”
The US car safety watchdog has been examining Tesla’s Autopilot system since February of 2016, when several individuals reported issues with the technology and when NHTSA discovered an update in February 2017 may have worsened accidents, according to the news release.
The announcements about the newest investigation come just three weeks after NHTSA fined Tesla $25,000 for being late in submitting the software update to the government. But while that fine may sound alarming, the NHTSA has a history of not levying harsher punishment if a carmaker is late in turning over information.
In 2013, the NHTSA opened an investigation into the battery system of the Chevrolet Volt, a hybrid electric vehicle, after receiving complaints about its responsiveness and speed in cold weather. The agency concluded its inquiry after determining that the system was not responsible for any dangerous driving conditions.
