Washington
(August 16, 2021) – U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) and Richard
Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and
Transportation Committee, issued the following joint statement after the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) launched an
investigation into Tesla’s Autopilot system following a number of crashes at
first responder sites:
“NHTSA
is rightly investigating Tesla’s Autopilot after a series of concerning
crashes. This probe must be swift, thorough, and transparent to ensure driver
and public safety. It should inform the agency’s recommendations on fixes the
company must implement to improve the safety of its automated driving and
driver assistance technology and prevent future crashes, as we urged in April.
We look forward to reviewing the agency’s findings.”
In
April, Markey and Blumenthal sent a letter to NHTSA and the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB), calling for federal investigators to conduct an in-depth
probe into a deadly Texas crash, and to develop recommendations for how
automated driving and driving assistance systems like Tesla’s Autopilot can be
improved. The full text of the letter can be
found here.
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