Tesla has decided to take matters into its own hands. The American electric car manufacturer has initiated the recall of nearly two million vehicles in the United States due to a risk linked to their assisted driving system.
In a letter sent to the Californian group on Tuesday, the US Highway Safety Agency (NHTSA) indicates that in certain circumstances, the assisted driving function of Tesla vehicles may lend itself to misuse, leading to an increased risk of collision.
Higher accident risks
Specifically, the investigation found that the design of the system is likely to cause “inadequate driver engagement and usage controls,” “which may lead to improper use of the system,” a spokesperson said Wednesday. word of the NHTSA in an email to AFP.
If a driver uses driver assistance incorrectly, in poor conditions, or fails to recognize whether the function is activated, the risk of an accident could be higher, explains the NHTSA.
Eleven incidents involving Teslas in assisted driving
Tesla, for its part, acknowledged in its information report that the controls put in place on its autopilot system “may not be sufficient to prevent misuse by the driver,” again according to the authority’s email.
This is not the first time that “Autopilot”, Tesla’s assisted driving system, has been implicated in accidents. NHTSA began an assessment process in 2021 to investigate 11 incidents involving stationary first responder vehicles and Tesla vehicles with the assisted driving system engaged.
Add alerts encouraging you to keep your hands on the wheel
Consequently, and “without agreeing with the analysis” of the NHTSA, Tesla decided on December 5 to initiate “a recall for a software update,” explains the highway authority. The vehicles affected are certain Model S produced between 2012 and 2023 and equipped with the system, all Model
Vehicles will receive a remote update, which should begin to be deployed on December 12, 2023. This will notably add additional alerts to encourage drivers to maintain control of their vehicle, “which involves keeping the hands on the wheel,” notes the authority. The group led by Elon Musk has already carried out several recalls in the United States last year to remotely modify potentially problematic software.