The government’s auto safety regulators are expanding their investigation into driver-assistance technology. Following crashes involving the use of Tesla’s Autopilot systems, the government has been stepping up and looking into the safety of
says 12 other automakers with similar technologies have been asked for their data.
BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen have all been asked to provide data on their respective driver-assistance technologies.
This includes data related to crashes, operation of the technology, how the systems are marketed to consumers, and safeguards the automakers put in place to ensure the systems are not misused.
While Tesla’s driver-assistance technology is the most well-known, all 12 of the other automakers make and sell cars with similar technology.
With cars installed with driver-assistance technology already on the road now, it’s good to see the NHTSA taking an interest in determining whether these technologies make the roads safer or not for consumers.
Driver-assistance safety systems have been shown to prevent crashes, however, there are also plenty of incidents of malfunction and driver misuse of these systems which indicate otherwise.
By comparing the data on driver-assistance tech offered by all companies, not just Tesla, the NHTSA can better proceed as a safety regulator.
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Investigation procedure
The NHTSA’s investigation into driver-assistance technology will not only examine how the technology is designed to work and under what conditions, but how the systems are marketed to target consumers.
This is a key step in determining the systems’ safety, since how companies market—and essentially, explain how to use the technology—matters. If consumers aren’t using driver-assistance systems the way they were designed to be used, the systems fail.
For example, Tesla’s use of the name Autopilot might imply a total absence of human interaction, but as we’ve seen, the assumption can cause collisions.
The NHTSA will also offer a rating system for driver-assisted technologies, to help inform consumers about the realities of operating these systems. In essence, the prevention of misuse or abuse of driver-assistance technology is the key to providing a safe driving experience on the road.
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