U.S. Investigator Urges Tesla to Fix Self-Driving Concerns: WSJ

Patrick Sykes, Bloomberg News

A test driver removes his hands from the steering wheel of a Tesla Motors Inc. Model S electric automobile fitted with self driving technology, developed by Robert Bosch GmbH, during the Bosch mobility experience in Boxberg, Germany, on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. Auto supplier Bosch will build a 1 billion-euro ($1.1 billion) semiconductor plant, the biggest single investment in its history, as the maker of brakes and engines prepares for a surge in demand for components used in self-driving vehicles. , Bloomberg

(Bloomberg) -- The U.S.’s top crash investigator urged Tesla Inc. to address safety concerns before expanding its cars’ self-driving features, the Wall Street Journal reported.

“Basic safety issues have to be addressed before they then expand it to other city streets and other areas,” Jennifer Homendy, chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in an interview with the newspaper.

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said last week drivers would soon be able to upgrade the so-called full self-driving capability of their vehicles. The move is expected to make driver-assistance tools that were designed mainly for highways usable in city environments too, though it doesn’t make cars completely autonomous.

The term ‘full self-driving’ is “misleading and irresponsible,” Homendy said. The marketing may attract more attention than warnings in car manuals, the WSJ added.

The NTSB investigates crashes and issues safety recommendations but has no regulatory authority.

Tesla didn’t respond to a WSJ request for comment.

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