The American electric car manufacturer Tesla has initiated the recall of some two million vehicles in the United States for 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.
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. 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.
Tesla, for its part, recognized in its information report that the controls put in place on its autopilot system “may not be sufficient to prevent misuse by the driver,” 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.
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 from 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.
