The United States government is investigating the safety of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system, which relies exclusively on cameras to operate.
This approach, similar to human vision, can have limitations in low visibility conditions such as bright sunlight, fog, or dust.
A fatal accident in November 2023 in Arizona raised concerns: a Tesla Model Y did not slow down near a traffic jam and ended up causing the death of an elderly woman, possibly due to camera glare from the setting sun.
After this case, other accidents involving Teslas with FSD were reported in different U.S. states, all occurring in situations with impaired visibility. This led the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) to open an investigation into Tesla’s technology. Compared to competitors like Waymo, Tesla vehicles have fewer sensors, using only cameras, while other models include radars and lidars, which are more effective at detecting obstacles in poor weather conditions.
Despite the pressure and questions, Elon Musk, the company’s CEO, continues to defend FSD and carries on testing his autonomous taxis in Austin, Texas, with plans for expansion. He also claims Tesla is close to achieving level 5 autonomy, which would require no human intervention, even amid growing concerns about the system’s safety.
Source: Quatro Rodas | Photo: Bram Van Oost – Unsplash | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
