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Family members of people who died in Tesla crashes are urging the US Department of Transportation not to scrap a Biden-era rule requiring companies to report crashes that involve fully or partially autonomous vehicles. They also say they are worried that Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s influence in the Trump administration may lead the department to weaken oversight of his company.
In a letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, seven families say they are “deeply concerned” that the federal government would water down oversight of driver assist technology like Tesla’s Autopilot.
“We fear this important measure is under threat given recent media reports and the influence of Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose company operates the most widely used Level 2 ADAS systems in America,” the letter, which was first reported by Politico, reads.
Their fears aren’t unwarranted. Before the inauguration, Reuters reported that Trump’s transition team was discussing eliminating a standing general order issued under Biden requiring automakers and tech companies to report crashes involving autonomous vehicles as well as Level 2 driver-assist systems. Scrapping the rule would greatly benefit Tesla, which to date, has reported the most number of crashes.
Tesla Victims Letter to Secretary of Transportatio by ahawkins8223 on Scribd
In urging him not to eliminate the rule, the family members appeal to Duffy’s own experience with vehicular violence, referencing the head-on collision that almost killed his wife, Rachel.
“Just as your family has experienced the life-shattering consequences of a preventable motor vehicle collision, we’ve had our own devastating experiences, all of which were caused by Tesla’s autonomous driving technology being released onto the roadways without the necessary safeguards,” they write.
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving features, which are considered Level 2 systems that require drivers to pay attention, are both covered under the rule. Since it was implemented, Tesla has reported over 1,800 crashes to the federal government. An analysis of the crash data shows Tesla accounted for 40 out of 45 fatal crashes reported to NHTSA through October 2024.
The families note that the data reporting rule has led to important regulatory decisions, like the December 2023 recall of over 2 million Tesla vehicles equipped with Autopilot. The recall wasn’t a physical recall, but rather an over-the-air software update meant to address issues around driver inattention and Tesla’s warning systems, which NHTSA said has contributed to hundreds of crashes and dozens of deaths. NHTSA later launched a probe into whether Tesla’s software fix was sufficient to address the defect.
The families urge Duffy to keep the rule in place and ensure “active investigations into Tesla Autopilot and Full Self-Driving continue free from improper influence.”
During his confirmation hearing, Duffy was asked by Senate Democrats whether he would allow safety investigations into Tesla’s advanced driving technology to proceed, given Musk’s status as a major donor and special advisor to Trump. Duffy said he would “commit… that I will let NHTSA do their investigation.”
