Following a fatal crash near Seattle in April involving a Tesla operating on the company's 'Full Self-Driving' system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced that they will be investigating the incident. The Tesla vehicle, a 2022 Model S, was determined to be using the self-driving system at the time of the accident, which resulted in the death of a motorcyclist.
Authorities from the Washington State Patrol retrieved data from the event-data recorder of the Tesla, confirming that the 'Full Self-Driving' system was engaged during the crash. While no charges have been filed against the driver yet, the investigation is ongoing.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that he expects the 'Full Self-Driving' system to be capable of operating without human supervision by the end of this year. Musk has been vocal about his ambitions for a fleet of robotaxis, although he acknowledged that his previous predictions on the matter have been overly optimistic.
Tesla currently offers two partially automated driving systems: 'Full Self-Driving' and Autopilot. While both systems can assist with driving tasks, Tesla emphasizes that human drivers must remain ready to take control at all times. The company has clarified that neither system is fully autonomous.
Despite ongoing testing of 'Full Self-Driving' on public roads by selected Tesla owners, the system has faced scrutiny from regulators. The NHTSA has previously required Tesla to recall the 'Full Self-Driving' system for violating traffic laws and has raised concerns about the effectiveness of Tesla's driver attention monitoring features.
Tesla has not yet responded to requests for comment on the recent crash investigation. Elon Musk has positioned Tesla as a robotics and artificial intelligence company, with plans to unveil a new robotaxi at an upcoming event in October.
