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Blog NHTSA Announces Another Autopilot Investigation

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced Friday that they are investigating a July 26 fatal crash in New York involving a Tesla with Autopilot engaged.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) spokeswoman told Reuters that the agency has launched a Special Crash Investigation team to analyze the death of a 52-year-old man attempting to fix a flat tire on his vehicle on the Long Island Expressway when he was struck by a Tesla.

NHTSA continues to ramp up scrutiny of Tesla’s Autopilot system.

The agency announced last month that it is investigating 12 crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles.

Reuters notes that NHTSA has opened 33 investigations into Tesla crashes involving 11 deaths since 2016, in which use of advanced driver assistance systems was suspected.

 
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just like any lane assist or cruise control on other brands. It is NOT designed to stop or avoid stopped vehicles on the highway.

Is that really the case though? Do other brands also run into stopped emergency vehicles and other vehicles on the shoulder? I've heard some people on this forum say that their Subaru / Toyota / etc. works so much better than AP and would stop for stopped cars.

I'd like to believe it's BS, but I don't have much experience with other brands, and there very few examples of their performance on the internet (perhaps because they aren't used as much as AP).

Perhaps what's going on is similar to the phenomenon Google encountered when testing their autonomous vehicles. As the system got better, people actually started to pay less attention. With other brands, the performance is a lot worse than AP, so the driver is paradoxically more attentive.
 
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Is that really the case though? Do other brands also run into stopped emergency vehicles and other vehicles on the shoulder? I've heard some people on this forum say that their Subaru / Toyota / etc. works so much better than AP and would stop for stopped cars.

I'd like to believe it's BS, but I don't have much experience with other brands, and there very few examples of their performance on the internet (perhaps because they aren't used as much as AP).
Because those brands you mention don’t have auto steer and drivers forced to steer themselves so they can’t blame adaptive cruise if they hit some one stopped on the hwy. Do you see how many people use weights on their steering wheel in Teslas? Honestly they should lose auto pilot for life if they get caught using it. Plus all the others who don’t pay attention to the road and look for something on the back seat while on AP. Tesla should activate cabin cams for everyone ASAP to avoid Darwin Award drivers spoiling it for every one else!
 
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Fails to mention the countless amount of deaths that occur every year in many, MANY other ICE vehicles. The fact that there are so few accidents and deaths in Teslas per million miles just prove that they're just so much safer vehicles.

Although it is true that the Autopilot system should be trained to be much better aware of parked vehicles on the freeway if it wishes to be called "Full self-driving," in the future.

BUT, news flash: IT ISN'T.

The people that cause these car crashes on Autopilot are the type, as Sandy Munro says, to say "watch this, hold my beer."

NHTSA when they see one Tesla accident and 200,000+ ICE vehicle accidents:

 
Because those brands you mention don’t have auto steer and drivers forced to steer themselves so they can’t blame adaptive cruise if they hit some one stopped on the hwy. Do you see how many people use weights on their steering wheel in Teslas? Honestly they should lose auto pilot for life if they get caught using it. Plus all the others who don’t pay attention to the road and look for something on the back seat while on AP. Tesla should activate cabin cams for everyone ASAP to avoid Darwin Award drivers spoiling it for every one else!
I don’t disagree at with this. Unfortunately there are all kinds of numbskulls out there and it ain’t all about just their drivin. Don’t get me started! Recently bought a Subaru ascent. The eyesight tacc with stay in lane is pretty close to plain autopilot. Except it gives up a lot on secondary roads AMD it locks on to the car it’s following when there are insufficient lines. It is pretty lame nevertheless when compared to Tesla. I think maybe this is a benchmark for NHTSA and they maybe feel Tesla is too advanced for the general idiot public. It is important for them to clearly understand that these are all driver assist features. I think Tesla opened the door by marketing FSD and charging money for it even though it isn’t. And the government way of looking at it is that the general public won’t read the bold print stating driver driver assist feature which must have full attention at all times. Tesla did this unfortunately. Get a f’ing PR department DAMIT!
 
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I am curious what happens with this. Hoping it doesn’t turn into disabling autopilot if they judge dangerous and want Tesla to do a recall until its so called fixed for hitting parked cars with flashing lights.

Some have said because of disclaimer for drivers to pay attention at all times that nothing with happen with this, but IDK im fearing something more could happen.
 
Is that really the case though? Do other brands also run into stopped emergency vehicles and other vehicles on the shoulder? I've heard some people on this forum say that their Subaru / Toyota / etc. works so much better than AP and would stop for stopped cars.

I'd like to believe it's BS, but I don't have much experience with other brands, and there very few examples of their performance on the internet (perhaps because they aren't used as much as AP).

Perhaps what's going on is similar to the phenomenon Google encountered when testing their autonomous vehicles. As the system got better, people actually started to pay less attention. With other brands, the performance is a lot worse than AP, so the driver is paradoxically more attentive.
yeah! other brands run into stopped cop cars, and bicyclists too! and deer, and skunk.. should they also get investigated? When I test drove the S I tried to rear end the guy in front of me..the car wouldn't let me - 18" is really close though! I felt the car slow down just before I touched the breaks.. That wasn't auto pilot tho...
choose love,
KO
 
yeah! other brands run into stopped cop cars, and bicyclists too! and deer, and skunk.. should they also get investigated? When I test drove the S I tried to rear end the guy in front of me..the car wouldn't let me - 18" is really close though! I felt the car slow down just before I touched the breaks.. That wasn't auto pilot tho...
choose love,
KO

And apparently Derby is about to let the blind Paralympian crash car onto their streets...

Toyota bids to put driverless cars on Derby city streets

 
The truly stupid thing is that all Tesla probably has to do is a dumb name change to something like “Tesla-Pilot” and this problem goes away. Like others have said here, the system on other cars is so much worse that you are always paying attention. My Volvo would veer dangerously to one side all the time, so much so that I was more stressed using it than not. Ironically, it was called a Pilot-Assist system, so clearly “Auto” is the bad word here smh.
 
People have gotten way too lazy and reliant on tech. Anyone caught abusing this tech should be outright banned from driving. We've become way too soft as a nation. Weights on steering wheels? You're kidding me son!
You are so right! I think those who use FSD must take a nap and think they have no responsibility for what happens! I don't have FSD engaged, but once I got really sleepy and the car neared the lane marker and the steering wheel vibrated, which made me fully alert. Thank you, Tesla, for probably saving my life. We have to be awake and be alert always!
 
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You are so right! I think those who use FSD must take a nap and think they have no responsibility for what happens! I don't have FSD engaged, but once I got really sleepy and the car neared the lane marker and the steering wheel vibrated, which made me fully alert. Thank you, Tesla, for probably saving my life. We have to be awake and be alert always!
If enabled in settings, your car will not only vibrate the steering wheel but also actively steer to avoid crossing the lanes. I tested it out of fun on an empty road and the car will slowly bounce between the left and right lane markers if let go without steering wheel input from the driver. Unfortunately, this does not work with less-then perfectly clear lane marks.
 
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