US agency, NHTSA raises concerns about Tesla Full Self-Driving software's social media posts

Tesla's self-driving cars: National Highway Traffic Safety ministration raised concerns about Tesla social media posts that suggested its Full Self-Driving software can be used as a robotaxi and does not need driver attention.

NHTSA in October opened an investigation into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles with FSD software after four reported collisions, including a 2023 fatal crash, during conditions including sun glare, fog, and airborne dust.

In a May 14 email me public on Friday, NHTSA told Tesla its social media postings could encourage people to see FSD as a robotaxi "rar than a partial automation/driver assist system that requires persistent attention and intermittent intervention by driver."

NHTSA cited Tesla postings on X including reposting story of an individual who opted to use FSD to drive him 13 miles (21 km) from his home to emergency room during a heart attack, along with anor depicting a 50-minute drive home using FSD from a sporting event.

"We believe that Tesla’s postings conflict with

its stated messaging that driver is to maintain continued control over dynamic driving task," NHTSA wrote, asking Tesla to revisit its communications.

Tesla, which met with agency in May about social media posts, told NHTSA that its owner's manual and in or places tells drivers that vehicle is not autonomous and that y must remain vigilant.

Tesla did not immediately comment on Friday. Elon Musk is CEO of Tesla and owns X, social media site formerly known as Twitter.

NHTSA on Friday released a letter dated Monday to Tesla seeking answers to questions in its investigation by December 18, including driver assistance system's "potential failure to perform, including detecting and responding appropriately in specific situations where re is reduced roway visibility that may limit FSD’s ability to safely operate."

NHTSA ded that its "investigation will consider equacy of feedback or information system provides to drivers to enable m to make a decision in real time when capability of system has been exceeded."

A 71-year-old woman who exited a vehicle following a rear-end collision with two or vehicles was killed in Rimrock, Arizona when she was struck by a Tesla in FSD mode with a driver battling sun glare who was not charged.

In December 2023, Tesla agreed to recall over 2 million vehicles in US to install new safeguards in its Autopilot vanced driver-assistance system under pressure from NHTSA, which is still considering equacy of safeguards.