Tesla sells the $15,000 FSD software as an add-on which enables its vehicles to change lanes and park autonomously. That complements its standard “Autopilot” feature, which enables cars to steer, accelerate and brake within their lanes without driver intervention. Both systems use the steering wheel monitoring function.
Last month, NHTSA said it had opened two new special investigations into crashes involving Tesla vehicles where advanced driver assistance systems are suspected to have been in use. Since 2016, NHTSA has opened more than three dozen Tesla special crash investigations where advanced driver assistance systems such as Autopilot were suspected of being used with 19 crash deaths reported.
In December 2021, NHTSA opened a probe into Tesla’s decision to allow games to be played by passengers on the front center touchscreen covering 580,000 vehicles over the vehicle’s “Passenger Play” over driver distraction concerns.
Soon after the investigation was opened, Tesla told NHTSA it would stop allowing video games to be played on vehicle screens while its cars are moving, the agency said.
