Tesla's FSD Promotions Raise US NHTSA Concerns: Misleading Public into Believing "FSD = Autonomous Robotaxi"
According to Reuters, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has expressed concerns over some of Tesla's posts on social media, suggesting that these posts may mislead the public—these posts imply that Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software can be used for Robotaxi without the need for driver attention.
NHTSA launched an investigation in October into 2.4 million Tesla vehicles equipped with FSD software following four accidents involving the system, including a fatal crash in 2023 that occurred in conditions of bright sunlight, fog, and dusty environments.
On the local date of the 8th (yesterday), an email sent on May 14th was made public. NHTSA reminded Tesla that its social media posts might lead people to mistakenly believe that FSD is a fully automated taxi, rather than a partially automated driving system that requires continuous driver attention and occasional intervention.
NHTSA specifically mentioned some of Tesla's posts on the X platform. These posts included shared stories—one patient who, during a heart attack, chose to use FSD to travel 13 miles from home to the hospital; another story described someone using FSD for a 50-minute drive home from a sports event.
NHTSA stated: "We believe that Tesla's social media posts contradict its consistent claim that **drivers should maintain control of the vehicle's dynamic driving**." NHTSA has asked Tesla to re-examine its communication methods.
IT Home learned that Tesla had communicated with NHTSA about these social media posts in May, indicating that Tesla's owner's manuals and other materials clearly state that the vehicle is **not fully autonomous** and that drivers need to stay alert.
Also on the 8th, NHTSA made public a letter asking Tesla to respond to its investigation questions by December 18th, investigating whether the driving assistance system failed to effectively recognize and respond in low visibility conditions to ensure the safe operation of FSD.
NHTSA added: "The investigation will assess whether the system provides drivers with enough feedback to help them make decisions in time when FSD exceeds its capabilities."
