Families of Tesla Crash Victims Urge DOT to Resist Musk’s Influence on Safety Oversight
Crash victims' families call on Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to uphold safety regulations and ensure independent investigations into Tesla’s driver assistance systems continue.
- Seven families of Tesla crash victims have written to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, urging him to maintain safety regulations and prevent Elon Musk’s influence from undermining federal oversight.
- The families emphasized the importance of a Biden-era rule requiring companies to report crashes involving advanced driver assistance systems, which has led to significant regulatory actions, including a 2023 recall of over 2 million Tesla vehicles.
- Tesla has reported over 1,800 crashes involving its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems, accounting for 40 of 45 fatal crashes reported to NHTSA through October 2024.
- Concerns have been raised about layoffs at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which could affect its ability to enforce safety regulations and conduct thorough investigations.
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly committed to allowing NHTSA to continue its investigations into Tesla’s driver assistance systems despite fears of regulatory rollbacks and external pressures.
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