U.S. asks 12 automakers for assistance in Tesla probe

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. car basic safety regulator mentioned Tuesday it has asked 12 main automakers for support as part of its probe into crashes involving Tesla autos hanging unexpected emergency automobiles even though applying advanced driver assistance units like Autopilot.

The Nationwide Highway Targeted visitors Basic safety Administration (NHTSA) despatched letters to Common Motors Co, Toyota Motor Corp, Ford Motor Co, Volkswagen AG and other people queries as the agency conducts a “comparative analysis” with other “manufacturing automobiles equipped with the potential to manage both of those steering and braking/accelerating simultaneously less than some instances.”

In August, NHTSA opened a official security probe into Tesla driver help technique Autopilot just after 12 crashes with unexpected emergency cars. The probe handles 765,000 U.S. Tesla vehicles created among 2014 and 2021.

Tesla’s Autopilot handles some driving tasks and lets motorists to keep their fingers off the wheel for prolonged intervals. Tesla says Autopilot permits automobiles to steer, speed up and brake immediately in just their lane.

The agency questioned the 12 automakers to listing any crashes in which an highly developed driver aid procedure was engaged at “at any time in the course of the time period beginning 30 seconds immediately prior to the commencement of the crash.”

The letters also seeks specifics on its driver assistance devices make certain drivers fork out consideration and how they detect if motorists are engaged. NHTSA gave some automakers until eventually Nov 3 to react and other folks right up until Nov. 17.

NHTSA also automakers to depth “methods for detecting and responding to the existence of first responder / regulation enforcement vehicles.”

On Aug. 31 NHTSA sent Tesla a 11-webpage letter on with numerous queries it ought to reply by Oct. 22, as part of its investigation. NHTSA said it experienced reports of 17 injuries and a person dying in the 12 crashes.

Before this month, NHTSA confirmed it was also investigating a July 26 fatal crash in New York of a 52-year-old guy was struck by a Tesla as he was making an attempt to take care of a flat tire on his vehicle.

(Reporting by David Shepardson Editing by Nick Zieminski)