Tesla Crash Victims’ Families Urge DOT to Protect Safety Rule

Concerns grow over Elon Musk’s influence and potential rollback of Biden-era crash reporting regulations.

Families of Tesla crash victims have written to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, urging the preservation of a Biden-era rule requiring crash reporting for autonomous and driver-assist systems.
The rule has been instrumental in identifying safety issues, including a December 2023 recall of over 2 million Tesla vehicles via a software update to address driver inattention and warning system defects.
Tesla accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes involving driver-assist systems reported to NHTSA through October 2024, highlighting the importance of continued oversight.
Concerns persist over potential staffing cuts at NHTSA and Elon Musk’s influence on the Trump administration, which could weaken investigations into Tesla’s technology.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has committed to allowing NHTSA investigations to proceed, despite political and corporate pressures.