May 18, 2022 - Economy & Business

Safety regulator opens probe into deadly Tesla crash

elon musk tesla investigation

Tesla CEO Elon Musk in Shanghai in January 2020. Photo: Ding Ting/Xinhua via Getty Images

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a special crash investigation into a fatal Tesla crash this month in California that resulted in three deaths, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The crash, involving a 2022 model Tesla Model S, is one of more than 30 under investigation by the NHTSA involving the electric vehicle manufacturer's driving features, per Reuters.

  • The NHTSA and Tesla did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Earlier this month, a Tesla Model S crash killed three occupants and injured three workers when it struck construction equipment along Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach, the OC Register reported.

The big picture: The NHTSA has, in previous months, looked into how Tesla's autopilot function works around crash scenes.

Catch up fast: Tesla recently had to recall and update the software for thousands of its vehicles using the Full Self-Driving (FSD) beta program because it may allow some models to conduct "rolling stops" at intersections.

  • The NHTSA last year also questioned Tesla's lack of a software recall when it updated its Full Self-Driving software, so the system could detect flashing emergency vehicle lights in low light conditions and adjust vehicle speed in response.
  • Federal law requires automakers to submit a recall when they issue an "over-the-air" update that mitigates a defect that poses an unreasonable risk to drivers.

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