Probe for suspicions that Tesla's autopilot is designed to auto-quit when a crash is imminent

[Nevilledog]

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Matt Potter
@MattPotter
The smell around Tesla is getting weirder.

US enquiry to probe suspicions that Tesla’s autopilot is designed to auto-quit when a crash is imminent… so that the driver is liable on the moment of impact - and Tesla’s system escapes scrutiny or bad stats. https://fortune.com/2022/06/10/elon-musk-tesla-nhtsa-investigation-traffic-safety-autonomous-fsd-fatal-probe/…
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3:37 PM · Jun 11, 2022

https://fortune.com/2022/06/10/elon-musk-tesla-nhtsa-investigation-traffic-safety-autonomous-fsd-fatal-probe/

U.S. authorities are escalating and expanding a probe into Tesla’s controversial automated driving feature in a move that could prompt a mandatory recall.

On Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an agency under the guidance of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, said it would be expanding a probe and look into 830,000 Tesla cars across all four current model lines, 11% more vehicles than they were previously examining.

The move came after the agency analyzed a number of accidents that revealed patterns in the car’s performance and the associated driver’s behavior, concluding that the findings warranted an upgrade to an "Engineering Analysis" from a previous "Preliminary Evaluation." An Engineering Analysis can be the precursor to a recall.

It said the purpose of escalating the investigation was to “explore the degree to which Autopilot and associated Tesla systems may exacerbate human factors or behavioral safety risks by undermining the effectiveness of the driver’s supervision.”

*snip*

[getagrip_already]

1. clever.... evil, but clever......

Wouldn't surprise me if they alter the syslogs as well.

[Tetrachloride]

9. in my humble opinion, a coverup worthy of felony indictments

if the syslogs are altered

[dawg]

2. I can't imagine ever buying a Tesla.

Perhaps they're good cars, but there are lots of alternatives, and I'm so done with Elon Musk.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Hell, I know people who do that...

[Nevilledog]

4. *snicker*

[Wounded Bear]

5. Sorry, couldn't resist...nt

[dalton99a]

6. Kick

CEO Elon Musk has often claimed that accidents cannot be the fault of the company, as data it extracted invariably showed Autopilot was not active in the moment of the collision.

While anything that might indicate the system was designed to shut off when it sensed an imminent accident might damage Tesla’s image, legally the company would be a difficult target.

All of Tesla’s current autonomous features, including its vaunted Full Self-Driving tech, currently in beta testing, are deemed assistance systems in which the driver is liable at all times rather than the manufacturer.

[SheltieLover]

7. K&R!

[SoonerPride]

8. So Barr was also wired by Tesla.

He quit when a crash was imminent as well.

[Tetrachloride]

10. Code at assembler level (example: load register A) is of course readable

And may be reverse engineered to get a flowchart.

Hard wired stuff in chips is more challenging

[Faux pas]

11. Whoa!

That's really some scummy shit.

[superpatriotman]

12. Here's a thought

Drive your car. Don't want to drive? Take a cab.

[oioioi]

13. Unsafe at any speed...

Initially the probe started last year in response to Tesla vehicles mysteriously plowing into the scene of an existing accident where first responders were already present.



On Thursday, NHTSA said it had discovered in 16 separate instances when this occurred that Autopilot “aborted vehicle control less than one second prior to the first impact,” suggesting the driver was not prepared to assume full control over the vehicle.

CEO Elon Musk has often claimed that accidents cannot be the fault of the company, as data it extracted invariably showed Autopilot was not active in the moment of the collision.

Elizabeth Holmes is facing prison because she "came to symbolize the pitfalls of Silicon Valley's culture of hustle, hype and greed", yet this toxic scumbag remains free to continue his nonstop bullshitting.

[ck4829]

14. Bailing out at the last second is not a good legal defense... shouldn't be

[BSdetect]

15. It's likely that drivers grabbed the wheel before an accident thus cutting off autopilot.

Another conspiracy re Tesla getting traction here.

[keithbvadu2]

16. Like a hospital discharging a patient to home or a nursing home just before they die.

Like a hospital discharging a patient to home or a nursing home just before they die.

So the patient does not die on their watch.