President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, stated during a Senate hearing that he would allow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to continue its ongoing investigations into Tesla’s advanced driver assistance systems.
The probe involves 2.4 million Tesla vehicles with Full Self-Driving (FSD) software after four reported crashes, including one fatal incident in 2023.
The NHTSA recently initiated another investigation into 2.6 million Tesla vehicles for crashes involving the Actually Smart Summon feature, which allows remote vehicle movement. Reports indicate that Tesla vehicles failed to detect posts and parked cars while using the feature, with users experiencing insufficient reaction time to prevent collisions.
Tesla recalled more than two million U.S. vehicles in December 2023 to install safeguards in its Autopilot driver-assistance system. The NHTSA is evaluating whether the recall adequately addresses driver attention concerns.
During the hearing, Senator Ed Markey asked Duffy to ensure that NHTSA operates independently and follows evidence without external influence. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close adviser to Trump, has previously criticized NHTSA’s regulatory actions.
Duffy also said he would review the Federal Aviation Administration’s proposed $633,000 fine against Musk’s SpaceX for alleged launch license violations. Musk has expressed plans to advance self-driving technology and robotaxi services.
