More accidents than other manufacturers |
US court investigates Tesla
Trouble with Tesla Autopilot again…
Now even the US attorney’s office is investigating the electric car maker, Reuters news agency reports and points to insiders who don’t want to be named. Many accidents – sometimes too with the dead – He would have called the US Department of Justice to action as early as 2021.
Prosecutors are looking into whether Tesla misled car buyers, investors and regulators with unsubstantiated claims about the capabilities of its driver assistance technology. Tesla President Elon Musk and his company did not respond to requests for comment. The Ministry of Justice also declined to comment on the case.
where is the problem? In short, Tesla may have promised more than cars actually could — endangering passengers and other road users.
More Tesla accidents than other manufacturers
The The US Traffic Safety Agency, NHTSA, has been dealing with crashes for a long time The Tesla autopilot plays a role. In August 2021, I launched an investigation.
In June of this year, a shock report came out from US traffic guards: Tesla reported 273 accidents with assistance systems within a year – more than any other automaker.
What does autopilot do?
The system, which Tesla calls Autopilot, is a (partially) self-driving technology. It allows electronic cars of the US manufacturer to organize certain situations in road traffic on their own – automatic steering, braking, changing lanes and the like.
All major auto manufacturers now have such systems, which sometimes work as well or less well. But of course cars are no longer allowed to do that than permitted by relevant laws.
California and US federal safety agencies have long been investigating whether advertising claims about autopilot give customers a false sense of security and tempt them to be careless.
Hands-free driving in Tesla Model S: This is also possible in cars from other manufacturers, but only for a few seconds. Then the car sounds the alarm
Did you promise Tesla too much?
Musk recently pulled the Tesla boss out the window: Perhaps the system is “better” than a human behind the wheel.
Last week he announced an updated version of the “Full Autopilot” program – currently the highest level of autopilot development. A video clip on Tesla’s website read: “The person in the driver’s seat is only there for legal reasons. She does nothing. The car drives itself.”
At the same time warns However, Tesla explicitly states that the driver must keep his or her hands on the steering wheel in order to control the vehicle at all times. And it protects itself: before activating the autopilot, the user must agree to this requirement.
Although the software helps with steering, braking or changing lanes, it does not make the car autonomous. “We’re not saying it’s reached the point where no one is behind the wheel anymore,” Musk said.
It was done smartly: According to insiders, the warnings could refute the allegations of prosecutors.
What threatens Tesla?
The investigations could have more serious repercussions – the company or even executives like Elon Musk himself could be criminally charged. Investigators still have a lot of work to do, and a decision on the indictment is not imminent, according to an insider.
