U.S. road safety investigators have announced their intention to investigate a fatal crash involving a Tesla vehicle operating on the company’s “Full Self-Driving” system near Seattle. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed on Wednesday that it is currently gathering information on the incident from law enforcement officers and Tesla.
According to the Washington State Patrol, investigators have downloaded data from the event-data recorder on the 2022 Tesla Model S involved in the crash. The agency’s spokesman, Capt. Deion Glover, stated on Tuesday that no charges have been filed against the driver, but the investigation is ongoing.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently stated that he expects the “Full Self-Driving” system to be capable of running without human supervision by the end of this year. Musk has long been promising a fleet of robotaxis, although he acknowledged during a recent earnings conference call that his previous predictions on the matter have been overly optimistic. In October, Musk has scheduled an event to unveil a new robotaxi.
Tesla, which did not respond to requests for comment, currently offers two partially automated driving systems: “Full Self-Driving” and Autopilot. While both systems can handle various driving tasks, Tesla emphasizes that they do not enable the vehicle to drive itself, and human drivers must remain ready to take control at any time. “Full Self-Driving” is currently being tested on public roads by selected Tesla owners.
The NHTSA has previously issued two recalls for Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” system due to its failure to comply with traffic laws. Additionally, the agency forced a recall of Autopilot, alleging that Tesla’s system for ensuring driver attention was inadequate. In April, the NHTSA initiated an investigation into the effectiveness of the Autopilot recall.