Sigh of Relief for Self-Driving Cars as Tesla Cleared in Probe
- Agency closes investigation of Florida crash without recall
- Some safety advocates say NHTSA could have acted more strongly
Race To Build Self-Driving Cars Accelerates
This article is for subscribers only.
The push to bring self-driving cars to American roads got a significant boost on Thursday when the nation’s chief auto safety regulator essentially cleared Tesla Motors Inc.’s Autopilot system of fault in a fatal 2016 crash.
The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that the owner of a Tesla Motors Inc. Model S sedan that drove itself into the side of a truck in May had ignored the manufacturer’s warnings to maintain control even while using the driver-assist function. The agency said it found no defect in the vehicle and wouldn’t issue a recall.