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“There is a real concern that’s not limited to the technology itself but the interaction between the technology and the driver,” Buttigieg told reporters when asked about the Tesla Autopilot probe.
This issue has been under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) since 2021, prompted by a series of accidents involving Autopilot and incidents with stationary emergency vehicles. The focus of the investigation is to determine if Tesla vehicles sufficiently ensure that drivers remain attentive while using the system.
Buttigieg has been critical of Tesla Autopilot in the past but has recognized the automaker as the leader in EVs, which has been a challenge for other prominent members of the government.
Tesla monitors driver behavior by using a cabin-facing camera that tracks eye movements and other driver behaviors. This measure supposedly helps keep people accountable when using the suite, and Tesla has even hinted its intention to enhance these efforts by expanding behavior tracking capabilities.
Recently, it was reported that the automaker would track blink frequency and length, along with yawns in an attempt to make its driver monitoring systems more robust.
“The question is not are they absolutely free of problems or 1000% foolproof,” Buttigieg said. “The question is, how can we be sure that they will lead to a better set of safety outcomes…This technology has a lot of promise. We just have to make sure it unfolds in a responsible fashion.”
Since 2016, NHTSA has opened 40 Tesla special crash investigations where driver assistance systems like Autopilot were suspected of being used, with 20 crash deaths reported. The agency has ruled out Tesla Autopilot use in three other special crash investigations.
Shares of TSLA are down 1.28% in mid-day trading on Tuesday.
