The federal government’s top auto safety agency is significantly expanding its investigation into Tesla and its Autopilot driver assistance system to determine if the technology poses a safety risk.
The agency, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, said on Thursday that it was upgrading Autopilot’s preliminary assessment to a technical analysis, a more in-depth level of oversight needed before when it is possible to issue a recall order.
The analysis will look at whether Autopilot fails to prevent drivers from diverting their attention from the road and engaging in other predictable and risky behaviors while using the system.
NHTSA said it has yet to determine whether Autopilot has defects that could cause cars to crash while in operation.
The broader investigation includes 830,000 vehicles sold in the United States. These include all four Tesla vehicles – Models S, X, 3 and Y – for the model years 2014 through 2021.
Agency of Preliminary assessment focuses on 11 incidents in which Tesla vehicles operating under Autopilot crashed into parked emergency vehicles and had flashing lights. In that review, NHTSA said on Thursday the agency was aware of 191 crashes — not limited to those involving ambulances — that required further investigation.
Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the agency’s move.
This is an evolving story. Check for updates.
