The National Road Safety Committee ((NTSB) urges its sister agency to implement stricter regulations regarding automated vehicle technology. In one letter it was sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in early February (via CNBC), the NTSB says the regulator “needs to act” to “develop a strong security foundation.” What is special about the document is that NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt often quotes Tesla in a negative light in support of his department’s proposals. The automaker is referenced 16 times on the 15 pages of the letter.
For example, in one section, Sumwalt writes about the “continued failure” by NHTSA to implement regulations that would prevent driver assistance systems such as autopilot from doing so Operation beyond the intended purpose. “Since NHTSA has no requirements, manufacturers can operate and test vehicles practically anywhere, even if the location exceeds the limitations of the AV control system,” writes Sumwalt. “For example, Tesla recently released a beta version of its Level 2 autopilot system, which is described as fully functional. With the release of the system, Tesla is testing a highly automated AV technology on public roads, which, however, only has limited monitoring or reporting obligations. “
This isn’t the first time the NTSB has criticized both Tesla and its sister agency. When it stopped Listen last year at the fatal crash in 2018 Sumwalt, who killed Ple developer Walter Haung, expressed frustration with both NHTSA and Tesla. “Government regulators have provided little oversight,” he said of the former while beating the automaker for not responding to its recommendations. However, there is little that the agency can do to make recommendations. As part of its role in investigating traffic accidents, it is not authorized to regulate or even enforce the safety measures it proposes. That responsibility rests with the NHTSA. Under the Trump administration, the agency has largely let state regulators decide how to approach the issue of automated vehicle technologies.
This story originally continued Engadget.
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