The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating whether last year’s recall of Tesla’s Autopilot driving system was sufficient in ensuring that drivers pay attention to the road.
The agency’s decision comes after Tesla reported 20 additional crashes involving Autopilot since the recall, which covered more than 2 million vehicles.
The recall was initiated after a two-year investigation by NHTSA into Autopilot’s driver monitoring system, which measures torque on the steering wheel from a driver’s hands. The fix involved an online software update to increase warnings to drivers, but the agency has found evidence of crashes even after the fix was implemented.
NHTSA will evaluate the recall’s effectiveness, including the prominence and scope of Autopilot’s controls, and address any misuse, confusion, or use in areas the system is not designed to handle. The agency also noted that Tesla allows owners to opt-in to parts of the recall remedy and even reverse some of it.
Safety advocates have long been concerned that Autopilot, which can keep a vehicle in its lane and maintain a safe distance from objects in front of it, was not designed to operate on roads other than limited access highways.
The investigation follows a recent fatal crash near Seattle, where a Tesla, possibly operating on Autopilot, hit and killed a motorcyclist. The driver admitted to using Autopilot and looking at his cellphone while the vehicle was moving.
NHTSA recently ended its investigation of Autopilot, citing the recall and the investigation of its effectiveness. However, the agency found evidence that Tesla’s weak driver engagement system was not appropriate for Autopilot’s permissive operating capabilities.
Experts say that merely measuring torque on the steering wheel does not ensure that drivers are paying sufficient attention, and night-vision cameras are needed to monitor drivers’ eyes to ensure they are looking at the road.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.