### NHTSA Investigates Tesla's Full Self-Driving Mode Over Visibility-Related Crashes

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has commenced a preliminary evaluation into Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode, focusing on the potential for accidents under conditions of reduced roadway visibility. The agency's attention was drawn to the investigation following four reports of incidents where visibility issues were a contributing factor, including a fatal crash last November in Rimrock, Arizona, involving a Model Y that struck and killed a pedestrian.

According to the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), these incidents involved Tesla vehicles operating under FSD-Beta or FSD-Supervised systems. The reduced visibility conditions that led to the crashes were attributed to factors such as sun glare, fog, and airborne dust. In addition to the fatality, another reported crash resulted in an injury.

The NHTSA's investigation is particularly focused on vehicles equipped with FSD capability, which includes the 2016-2024 Model S and Model X, 2017-2024 Model 3, 2020-2024 Model Y, and the 2023-2024 Cybertruck. The preliminary evaluation by the NHTSA will assess several key aspects of the FSD system. These include the system’s ability to detect and respond to reduced visibility conditions, the identification of any similar incidents, and an examination of any updates or modifications Tesla has made to the FSD system that could influence its performance in such conditions.

This evaluation follows closely on the heels of Tesla's announcement of a new driverless Cybercab robotaxi vehicle. Additionally, the scrutiny comes amid Tesla CEO Elon Musk's advocacy for camera-only, computer vision-based self-driving systems, which he claims are superior to sensor-based systems that other companies, like Waymo, employ. Waymo, for example, integrates a combination of lidar, cameras, and radar to achieve robust self-driving capabilities, while other automakers also utilize lidar and radar in their driver assistance technologies.

As the investigation proceeds, the findings will be crucial in determining the efficacy and safety of Tesla's FSD system, especially under challenging visibility conditions.