The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has opened a formal investigation into a Tesla crash that killed a pedestrian in California last week. Sources confirm the probe focuses on the vehicle's Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, which was engaged at the time of the incident. This is the 35th known FSD-linked collision since 2021, and the third fatality attributed to Tesla's autonomous driving features.
Documents obtained by this desk reveal NHTSA engineers are scrutinising Tesla's over-reliance on camera-only sensor data, which critics argue fails in low-light conditions. The UK's Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has issued a terse statement: it is 'monitoring developments closely'. But behind the scenes, Whitehall insiders tell me the Treasury is quietly alarmed.
Every Tesla crash in the US strengthens the case for tighter regulation here. And that spells trouble for the industry's bottom line. The DVSA has already refused to approve Tesla's FSD beta for British roads, citing 'unresolved safety concerns'.
The real scandal is the revolving door between Tesla and regulators. Former NHTSA chief counsel Jonathan Morrison now heads Tesla's legal team. Meanwhile, DVSA board member Sir Richard Harrow resigned in March after it emerged he held shares in Autonomy UK, a Tesla supplier.
No laws broken, but the optics are foul. Behind these crashes is a pattern of corner-cutting. Tesla's Autopilot and FSD have been linked to over 700 crashes since 2019, according to NHTSA data leaked to this desk.
Yet Tesla continues to market the technology as 'safer than a human driver'. The numbers don't lie: NHTSA records show Tesla vehicles account for 70% of all autonomous driving incidents reported to the agency. The UK is a testing ground for these systems.
In 2023, the government granted exemptions for driverless cars on British roads. But with no legal framework for liability, who pays when a robot driver kills? My sources say the Department for Transport has buried a report concluding that current regulations are 'wholly inadequate' for autonomous vehicles.
The industry is fighting back. Tesla's UK lobbying arm spent £1.2m last year on 'policy engagement' with MPs.
Meanwhile, five transport ministers have met with Tesla executives since January. These meetings are not public. The minutes are not published.
This is how regulation gets captured. The crash in California is a warning. The DVSA must act now, not after a body is found on a British road.
We are watching this story. Follow @MarcusStone for updates on the investigation.
