U.S. transport chief defends auto safety agency after Musk criticism
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg provides a stay interview to the information media outdoors of the White Home in Washington, U.S., October 13, 2021. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photograph
WASHINGTON, Oct 20 (Reuters) – U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg mentioned on Wednesday that Tesla Chief Government Elon Musk ought to straight increase with him any points in regards to the hiring of a senior security adviser who has been crucial of the automaker.
“He is welcome to name me if he is involved,” Buttigieg advised reporters at an occasion on Wednesday. “We’re answerable for ensuring that each car on the highway is protected.”
The Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) on Tuesday confirmed a Reuters report that Duke College engineering and pc science professor Missy Cummings is being named a brand new senior adviser for security at NHTSA, saying in an announcement it appears to be like ahead “to leveraging her expertise and management in security and autonomous applied sciences.”
On Tuesday, Musk wrote on Twitter: “Objectively, her monitor file is extraordinarily biased towards Tesla.”
She responded to Musk on Twitter saying: “Joyful to take a seat down and discuss with you anytime.”
NHTSA in August opened a proper security probe into Tesla’s Autopilot system in 765,000 U.S. automobiles after a collection of crashes involving Tesla fashions and emergency automobiles.
Cummings has repeatedly expressed issues about Tesla’s Autopilot function. In 2019, she wrote on Twitter: “I’ve pushed a number of Teslas – autopilot simply causes mode confusion, is unreliable and unsafe @NHTSArecalls ought to require
@tesla to show it off.”
NHTSA mentioned Cummings was being named for a “short-term task” underneath the Intergovernmental Personnel Act Mobility Program.
Final week, NHTSA requested Tesla why it has not issued a recall to deal with software program updates made to Autopilot system to enhance the automobiles’ potential to detect emergency automobiles.
Up to now, NHTSA has recognized 12 crashes that concerned Tesla automobiles utilizing the superior driver-assistance programs and emergency automobiles. NHTSA mentioned many of the incidents occurred after darkish.
Reporting by David Shepardson; Modifying by Steve Orlofsky
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