Consumers Union Calls on Tesla to Fix Autopilot, NTSB Spat Heats Up
Drama over the fatal accident involving a Tesla Model X and Autopilot continued Thursday as the Consumers Union released a statement calling on the automaker to fix the system.
The Consumers Union, an advocacy division of Consumer Reports, released a statement demanding Tesla “move quickly to improve the safety of its ‘Autopilot’ driver-assist system and to publicly release the detailed data behind the company’s safety claims.”
“Tesla markets itself as an innovator. It should not put lives at risk, damage its reputation, or risk the success of its systems—or driver assist technology as a whole—by failing to take steps that would better protect consumers’ safety. Further, the company should not make either specific or broad safety claims without providing the detailed data to back them up,” the Consumers Union director for cars and product policy, David Friedman, said in a prepared statement.
SEE ALSO: Tesla Says Driver to Blame in Fatal Model X Autopilot Crash
Tesla’s spat with the National Transportation Safety Board also took a turn for the worse Thursday afternoon. The NTSB said it had decided to remove Tesla from the investigation into the crash that killed 38-year old Apple engineer Walter Huang after the automaker released a statement on the crash before the NTSB investigation had concluded. Tesla argues it withdrew from the investigation voluntarily so it could release the information, knowing full well that it would be kicked out of the investigation if it did so.
Tesla released a combative statement addressing the NTSB’s behavior late Thursday, which is embedded below.
In addition to the NTSB investigation, Tesla is also fighting the family of Huang, who has hired legal representation and plans to sue the company over the crash.
This is likely only the beginning of this Autopilot-fueled controversy, so stay tuned as the story develops.
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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