According to reports, U.S. Democratic Senators Blumenthal and Markey expressed concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot system, saying they were “deeply troubled” by Tesla’s design choices, and said that Tesla’s system should abide by the law.
Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, after reviewing numerous reports of dangerous braking flaws in Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems, issued a statement.
The latest developments in Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems are exactly why we have long expressed deep concerns about this flawed technology,” the senators said. “While Autopilot and driver-assistance systems have There is some potential to improve safety.
They must be implemented with strong safeguards to ensure our cars obey the rules of the road and ensure drivers are fully engaged in driving. We commend NHTSA’s ongoing investigative work and urge it to continue to Take all appropriate actions to protect all road users.
In fact, Senators Markey and Blumenthal have raised concerns about the safety issues posed by self-driving vehicle (AV) technology for years.
In May 2018, senators asked major automakers and tech companies developing self-driving cars on public roads about safety protocols for test-driving vehicles.
Amid a series of Tesla crashes in August 2021, Senators Markey and Blumenthal took serious note of Tesla’s misleading advertising and marketing of its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving (FSD) features concerned and called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate and take enforcement action.