Tesla's FSD Faces Scrutiny After Foggy Crashes

Recently, Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system has come under the spotlight of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The investigation follows four collisions where the FSD feature was active and visibility was low due to factors like sun glare, fog, or airborne dust. The most recent incident happened in November 2023 in Arizona, where a Model Y struck and killed a pedestrian. In the other three crashes, which occurred between March and May 2023, Model 3 EVs were involved, with one resulting in injury. The NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is focusing on how well FSD handles reduced visibility conditions. They want to know if the system can accurately detect and respond to such situations. The investigation also aims to uncover other similar crashes with FSD enabled and any changes Tesla has made to the system that could affect its performance in low-visibility conditions.

Earlier this year, the NHTSA closed an investigation into hundreds of crashes where Tesla's Autopilot was engaged. They found that many drivers weren't paying enough attention and that the warnings provided by Autopilot weren't strong enough to keep drivers focused on the road. Tesla's CEO, Elon Musk, recently announced that the Model 3 and Model Y will be able to drive without supervision in California and Texas starting next year. He also introduced the Cybercab, a self-driving taxi with no steering wheel or pedals, planned for production by 2027.

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