Washington (February 3, 2022) – Senators Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement today after numerous reports of dangerous braking flaws in Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self Driving systems.

“These latest developments with Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self Driving systems are exactly why we’ve long expressed our concerns with this flawed technology,” said the Senators in a joint statement. “Although automated driving and driver assistance systems have the potential to enhance safety, they must be implemented with strong safeguards that will ensure our cars follow the rules of the road and drivers are fully engaged. We commend NHTSA for its ongoing work to investigate the situation and urge it to continue taking all appropriate action to protect all users of the road.”

Senators Markey and Blumenthal have been raising concerns about the safety issues created by autonomous vehicle (AV) technology for years. In May 2018, the Senators queried major automakers and technology companies developing AVs on public roads about safety protocols for test-driving their vehicles. Amid a series of Tesla crashes in August 2021, Senators Markey and Blumenthal voiced serious concerns about Tesla’s misleading advertising and marketing of its Autopilot and Full-Self Driving (FSD) features to consumers, and called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to launch an investigation and take enforcement action.