The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded its probe of a series of crashes involving Tesla Autopilot, bringing the auto maker one step closer to a possible recall.
The NHTSA said Thursday that its investigation of Tesla Autopilot had been moved to "Engineering Analysis," according to a post on the agency's website. That is the final stage of an investigation. The NHTSA typically tries to decide within a year if there should be a recall or if it should close the investigation, according to an NHTSA brochure.
The NHTSA said it would evaluate additional data sets, look at vehicle performance and explore "the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver's supervision."
The investigation covers 830,000 Tesla vehicles made from 2014 and includes Model Y, Model X, Model S, Model 3, according to a filing.
The investigation is the latest sign that U.S. auto-safety regulators are more aggressively scrutinizing advanced vehicle technologies that automate some or all of the driving tasks, The Wall Street Journal reported. The NHTSA, part of the Transportation Department, aims to reduce deaths and injuries and economic costs due to motor vehicle crashes.
Tesla (ticker: TSLA) didn't immediately respond to messages for comment. Tesla shares closed Thursday down less than 1%, to $719.12. In aftermarket trading, the stock was up 47 cents, to $719.59.
Autopilot is Tesla's driver assistance feature. It helps drivers with steering, with lane changes, and with parking, and it automatically slows cars when approaching a stop sign or streetlight. Tesla, on its website, instructs drivers that it is their responsibility to stay alert, to keep their hands on the steering wheel at all times, and to maintain control of their car.
In August 2021, the NHTSA began investigating Tesla after the cars, where Autopilot was engaged, struck stationary first responder vehicles tending to collision scenes, according to the filing. Eleven crashes that occurred between January 2018 and July 2021 formed the crash pattern that served as the basis for the opening the probe, the agency said. It then found another six crashes but ended up removing one, because the struck vehicle was parked out of traffic and its lights weren't illuminated.
In a majority of the 16 crashes, the Teslas issued forward collision warnings immediately before impact, while automatic emergency braking intervened in about half. In 11 cases, drivers didn't take evasive action between two to five seconds before impact even though their hands were on the steering wheel, the agency said.
The NHTSA said it had identified 15 injuries and one fatality because of the crashes.
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