U.S. Transportation Authority Launches Investigation of Tesla 'Autopilot'

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation into the "Autopilot" system that Tesla has promoted as a self-driving function.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 16th (local time), NHTSA confirmed 11 accidents or fires related to the emergency response of Tesla cars using driving assistance functions since early 2018. One person was killed and 17 others were injured in these accidents. NHTSA is known to be looking more closely at Tesla's autopilot system, especially among Tesla's various driving assistance features.

According to Bloomberg News, the survey targets 765,000 Tesla vehicles, including Model Y, Model X, Model S, and Model 3, which were produced between 2014 and 2021. Recently, NHTSA has required Tesla to regularly report on advanced driver assistance features such as autopilots or accidents related to autonomous driving systems.

In California, the parents of a 15-year-old boy who died in a collision with a pickup truck while driving with the Tesla Autopilot function on in August 2019 filed a lawsuit against Tesla in a district court last month.

Meanwhile, seven people, including a teenage student, were injured in the Tesla Model 3 accident, which was included in the survey. According to the British Daily Telegraph, six students and an adult were hit by a Tesla vehicle equipped with self-driving functions at 4:30 p.m. on the 16th in the parking lot of a boarding school in Sussex. One student, who was particularly seriously injured in the accident, was taken to a hospital by an air ambulance.

Date: 2021-08-22

Reporter: 서화목