Musk Tweet about self-driving safety feature gets government inquiry

A tweet from CEO Elon Musk discussing a safety feature in self-driving Teslas has caught the attention of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, who contacted the automaker earlier this week.

The entrepreneur had responded to a Twitter user who suggested that the “steering wheel nag,” a safety feature which seeks to keep drivers of autopiloted Teslas focused by regularly requesting they hold the wheel, be disabled after driving a long distance. Musk wrote that he agreed with the tweet, and said a January update would fix the perceived issue. Days later, the NHTSA contacted Tesla to “gather additional information” about what the CEO had said.

The agency has 41 ongoing investigations into the automaker involving assisted-driving, autopilot or full self-driving features, two of which started in December. Tesla has been accused of misrepresenting the capabilities of its autonomous vehicle services which cost customers $199 a month or $15,000 up front to use, culminating in a California decision to block the company from using the term “full self-driving.” The NHTSA is also concerned that the vehicle’s safety features do not keep their users focused enough to prevent accidents in the event of a software error.

While the company has yet to respond, criticism directed at the brand’s CEO seems to be alive and well in 2023. Poor sales numbers, plunging stock prices and peculiar behavior have earned the entrepreneur public, regulatory and investor scrutiny. While the company has yet to actually change the safety feature, doing so under the watchful eye of the NHTSA may prove too bold for Musk, despite his vocal disdain for government interference.

Did you enjoy this article? Please share your thoughts, comments, or questions regarding this topic by connecting with us at newsroom@cbtnews.com.