Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Feb 28, 2026

Tesla shouldn’t call driving system Autopilot because humans are still in control

Tesla shouldn’t call driving system Autopilot because humans are still in control

Tesla shouldn’t be calling its partially automated driving system Autopilot because the cars can’t drive themselves, the top US transportation official says.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says he’s concerned about Tesla’s marketing of the system, which is under investigation by his department in connection with crashes that have caused at least 14 deaths.

“I don’t think that something should be called, for example, an Autopilot, when the fine print says you need to have your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road at all times,” Buttigieg said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an agency within Buttigieg’s department, has sent investigative teams to more than 30 crashes since 2016 in which Teslas suspected of operating on Autopilot or its more sophisticated automated Full Self-Driving system have struck pedestrians, motorcyclists, semi trailers and parked emergency vehicles.

The probes are part of a larger investigation by the NHTSA into multiple instances of Teslas using Autopilot crashing into parked emergency vehicles that are tending to other crashes. The NHTSA has become more aggressive in pursuing safety problems with Teslas in the past year, announcing multiple recalls and investigations.

Tesla, based in Austin, Texas, didn’t immediately return messages left Thursday by the AP seeking comment.

Autopilot can keep a car in its lane and away from vehicles in front of it, while Full Self-Driving can take on most driving tasks. But in each case, Tesla tells owners they must be ready to intervene at all times.

Buttigieg said the Transportation Department will hold Tesla or any other company accountable for complying with federal safety standards. “We call balls and strikes,” he said. “I view it as something where it’s very important to be very objective. But anytime a company does something wrong or a vehicle needs to be recalled or a design isn’t safe, we’re going to be there.”

In the Wednesday interview, Buttigieg said that self-driving vehicles have enormous potential to reduce the nearly 40,000 US roadway deaths that happen each year, a level that he called unacceptable. But he said the technology has not been proved yet. “It’s far from automatic that it’s going to meet that potential,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to shape here at the Department of Transportation.”

The NHTSA also is looking at Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system. In February, the agency pressured Tesla into recalling nearly 363,000 vehicles with the software because the system can break traffic laws. The problem was to be fixed with an online software update.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has said he expects to have fully autonomous vehicles this year, a pledge he has made for several years. “The trend is very clearly toward full self-driving,” Musk said in April. “And I hesitate to say this, but I think we’ll do it this year.”

The system is being tested on public roads by as many as 400,000 Tesla owners. But the NHTSA said in documents that the system can make unsafe actions such as traveling straight through an intersection from a turn-only lane, going through a yellow traffic light without proper caution or failing to respond to speed limit changes.

The NHTSA also has opened investigations during the past three years into Teslas braking suddenly for no reason, suspension problems and other issues.

Buttigieg wouldn’t comment specifically on the pending investigations. “Both outside bodies, states and other regulatory entities on the marketing side, and us from a vehicle safety perspective, are always paying attention,” he said.

No vehicle on sale today can drive itself, he stressed, saying that drivers must pay attention in all cases.

The Justice Department also has asked Tesla for documents about Full Self-Driving and Autopilot.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Emerging Saudi–Turkish Alignment Draws Attention as Potential Strategic Challenge for Israel
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion Technology Investment Fund to Accelerate Post-Oil Diversification
US Lawmakers Question White House Consideration of Saudi Nuclear Enrichment Framework
Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Firm Commitment to Two-State Solution in Renewed Diplomatic Push
Saudi Arabia Launches Central Kitchen in Gaza to Deliver 24,000 Meals a Day
Saudi Arabia Announces $346 Million Support Package for Yemen in Renewed Humanitarian Push
Saudi Investors Increase US Equity Exposure Amid Domestic Market Weakness
Saudi Arabia Unveils Major Desert Gas Development in Strategic Shift Toward Diversified Energy Growth
Satellite Images Indicate Increased Aircraft Presence at Saudi Airbase Hosting US Forces
Telephone Diplomacy Sparks Tensions Between Two Key US Allies After Trump Intervention
Asian LPG Prices Surge After Damage Forces Saudi Aramco Export Disruptions
Saudi Arabia Unveils $100 Billion AI Infrastructure Fund to Challenge US and China
Saudi Stocks Close Lower as Tadawul All Share Index Falls 1.28 Percent
Saudi Arabia Launches Smart Mapping System to Enhance Pilgrim Experience at Holy Sites
Cristiano Ronaldo Acquires 25 Percent Stake in Saudi-Owned Spanish Club Almería
U.S.–Saudi Relations Balance Transactional Deal-Making with Expanding Strategic Ambitions
Israel’s President Herzog Signals Cautious Message on Saudi Ties at UAE Iftar in Tel Aviv
United States and Saudi Arabia Strengthen Security Ties with Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Exercise
Saudi Arabia Responds to Israel–UAE Moves in Somalia as Regional Rivalries Intensify
Saudi Arabia Showcases Expanding Defense Ambitions at World Defense Show 2026
SECRETARY RUBIO on IRAN: Iran poses a very great threat to the United States, and has for a very long time.
Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary, is resigning from Harvard University as fallout continues over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
U.S. stocks ended higher on Wednesday, with the Dow gaining about six-tenths of a percent, the S&P 500 adding eight-tenths of a percent, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq climbing roughly one-and-a-quarter percent.
Nvidia posted better than expected results for the January quarter on Wednesday and forecast current quarter revenue above market estimates.
Saudi Arabia’s Coffee Renaissance Gains Momentum as Investment and Heritage Drive Industry Growth
Saudi Shipping Leader Bahri Expands Fleet as Tanker Rates Approach $200,000 a Day
Saudi Arabia Advances First National Urban Policy Through High-Level Leadership and Institutional Alliances
Major Life Sciences Summits to Spotlight Saudi Arabia’s Rise as Regional Biotech and Pharma Hub
Saudi Arabia Reframes Red Sea and Horn of Africa Strategy Amid Rising Security and Trade Stakes
Saudi Arabia Recalibrates Its Role in Shifting Regional and Global Power Dynamics
Saudi Retail Signals to Global Brands: Localise or Lose Ground in a Rapidly Evolving Market
Saudi Arabia Looks to Human Capital Investment to Unlock Demographic Dividend
Saudi Arabia and Iran Increase Oil Exports Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Saudi Data Protection Authority Intensifies Enforcement Under Personal Data Law
Saudi Arabia Raises Oil Output and Exports Amid Contingency Planning Over Iran Tensions
USS Gerald R Ford Arrives in Souda, Crete
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Unit Expands Push Into Global Private Credit
Saudi Arabia Eases Headquarters Rules to Attract More Foreign Firms
Saipem Secures Major Offshore Pipeline Contract in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Targeted Oil Export Cuts to the US Seen as Strategic Signal Amid Global Supply Glut
Nemetschek Arabia Signs Strategic MoU with Saudi Facility Management Association
Gulf Markets Close Mixed as Saudi Shares Slip on Budget Deficit Concerns
Saudi Arabia Posts Largest Quarterly Budget Deficit in Years Amid Weaker Oil Revenues and Higher Spending
U.S. Lawmaker Urges Safeguards on Saudi Civil Nuclear Deal as Trump Administration Advances Agreement
Saudi Arabia and Gulf Allies Rally Behind Kuwait in Escalating Maritime Border Dispute with Iraq
Universal Aviation Secures License to Operate and Manage New General Aviation Terminal in Dammam
Tucker Carlson’s Saudi Arabia Remarks Spark Debate Over Israel Stance
GCC Secretary-General Holds Talks with EU Ambassador in Riyadh
Gulf States’ AI Investment Drive Seen as Strategic Bet on Technology and U.S. Security Ties
African Union Commission Chair Meets Saudi Vice Foreign Minister to Deepen Strategic Cooperation
×