Tesla is recalling over 362,000 vehicles fitted with the company’s Full Self Driving driver-assistance technology. The decision comes after National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regulators found the system to increase the risk of crashes.
According to major news outlets, regulators found that the Full Self Driving assistance technology allows vehicles to drive above legal speed limits. While the system is in use, the Tesla vehicles in question can also go through intersections in “an unlawful or unpredictable manner,” regulators added.
This recall addresses only vehicles with Full Self Driving, not the advanced technology Tesla calls Autopilot.
Safety Risk: Hundreds Of Accidents Associated With Self-Driving Tool
Designed to steer, accelerate, change lanes, and brake the vehicle without the driver’s input, Tesla’s Full Self Driving technology does not have the ability to actually drive cars on their own. Instead, Tesla owners must be ready to take over at any moment. The firm also tells its customers to keep their hands on the steering wheel and eyes on the road while the driver-assistance technology is in use. However, the technology has long been under the scrutiny of regulators as safety experts raised concerns following a series of accidents involving cars using advanced driver-assistance technologies.
Officials released data showing that at least six people died and five were seriously injured after 400 incidents were allegedly caused by cars using self-driving technology. While not all vehicles mentioned by officials were Tesla-made, 273 of these crashes were tied to Tesla vehicles. Five Tesla-related accidents also involved fatalities.
Based on their ongoing investigations, regulators say that the Full Self Driving driver-assistance technology could create “an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety based on insufficient adherence to traffic safety laws.”
Company To Address Potential Flaws With Over-The-Air Software Update
Tesla will offer impacted vehicle owners with an over-the-air software update that should make the technology safer. Impacted vehicles include vehicles of all four of Tesla’s models produced from 2016 and 2023.
While Tesla did not agree with regulators regarding the risk associated with the self-driving technology, the firm agreed to issue the recall.
For more on this recall, follow this link.
