US has ‘real concern’ about Tesla Autopilot driver interaction

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Tuesday there are concerns about the interaction between Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system Autopilot and drivers that is the subject of an ongoing government investigation.

Since August 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been investigating a series of Tesla crashes involving Autopilot and with parked emergency vehicles and whether Tesla vehicles adequately ensure drivers are paying attention.

“There is a real concern that’s not limited to the technology itself but the interaction between the technology and the driver,” Buttigieg told reporters when asked about the Tesla Autopilot probe.