Elon Musk's Tesla Autopilot Faces Scrutiny As US Safety Regulator Questions 'Driver Inattention' Risk

In a move that intensifies scrutiny on Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. TSLA, the U.S. auto safety regulator has demanded an explanation on a software change in the company’s Autopilot driver assistance system, Reuters reported.

In a recently revealed letter, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the software change that potentially allows drivers to remove their hands from the wheel for extended periods, increasing the risk of collisions.

The NHTSA issued a special order on July 26, asking Tesla to provide documents and answer questions about the Autopilot modification. The regulator expressed its concern about the relaxed controls leading to greater driver inattention and the potential for misuse of the Autopilot system.

“NHTSA is concerned that this feature was introduced to consumer vehicles and, now that the existence of this feature is known to the public, more drivers may attempt to activate it. The resulting relaxation of controls designed to ensure that the driver remain engaged in the dynamic driving task could lead to greater driver inattention and failure of the driver to properly supervise Autopilot,” NHTSA said in a letter.

The order did not mandate a recall of Tesla’s vehicles, but late responses to the special order could result in a daily penalty of $26,315.

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