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Tesla is being investigated for parking accidents
The US Transportation Authority is investigating Tesla for accidents linked to the parking request function. Around 2.6 million vehicles are involved. Find out more about the ongoing investigation.
Tesla is being investigated for parking accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened an investigation into accidents that allegedly occurred while using a parking feature on Tesla vehicles. This feature allows owners to summon their car from a parking space without anyone being in the vehicle.
NHTSA preliminary investigation
The preliminary investigation involves approximately 2.6 million Tesla vehicles with the “Actually Smart Summon” feature and was announced on Monday. The agency said it was aware of “several allegations of accidents” in which users were unable to avoid a collision, whether due to visibility obstructions or reaction time issues. This is the latest federal investigation into the self-driving capabilities of Tesla vehicles.
Political context and Tesla stock price
The investigation comes just two weeks before President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a major supporter of Trump during the campaign and after the election, will begin formally exerting influence over a variety of federal government policy decisions. Since the election, Tesla shares have risen more than 60% as investors believe the Trump administration will pursue policies that benefit Tesla, such as removing regulatory hurdles to promote autonomous vehicles.
Previous NHTSA investigations
In October, the NHTSA announced that it was Investigation on the safety of Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" function (FSD) after at least one fatal accident involving a pedestrian and three other accidents, one of which resulted in injuries.
Details about current incidents
However, the accidents covered in this latest investigation are by no means that serious. The agency reported that one accident was reported to it by a car owner, as well as at least three other incidents reported in news reports.
Cause of the accidents
"All four incidents involve the Tesla vehicles in question that were operating in Actually Smart Summon mode and failed to detect obstacles, such as poles or parked vehicles, resulting in an accident," the NHTSA said in a statement. The agency is also investigating 12 other incidents reported by vehicle owners.
Tesla's response to the investigation
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment about this investigation. The company has no public relations team and has rarely responded to comments from media outlets such as CNN.
Information about the function on the Tesla website
On the Tesla website Please note that the function should only be used on private property, such as parking lots and driveways, and not on public roads. The app user should also have a clear view of the vehicle and the path it is following in order to be able to stop the vehicle if necessary.
Tesla self-driving options
Although Teslas have had what the company calls "self-driving" options for years, those options come with the caveat that drivers must be ready to take control of the vehicle at any time should it be necessary to avoid accidents.