U.S. seeks information from Tesla on in-car camera in Autopilot probe

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is assessing the performance of Autopilot after earlier identifying a dozen crashes

U.S. auto safety regulators on Thursday asked Tesla Inc. to answer questions about its in-car camera intended to monitor driver awareness as part of a probe into 830,000 Tesla vehicles that employ the carmaker's advanced driver assistance system called Autopilot.

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is assessing the performance of Autopilot after earlier identifying a dozen crashes in which Tesla vehicles struck stopped emergency vehicles.

In June, it upgraded its probe to an engineering analysis - a required step before it could potentially demand a recall.

NHTSA's nine-page letter demands Tesla answer questions by October 12 about "the role that the Cabin Camera plays in the enforcement of driver engagement/attentiveness."

According to Tesla, the cabin camera - a camera located above the rear view mirror - can determine driver inattentiveness and provide audible alerts to remind the driver to keep their eyes on the road when Autopilot is engaged.

NHTSA said it was seeking information on the cabin camera's "impact on driver engagement alert types and timing" as well as "recoverable data elements pointing to its influence."