sold in the U.S. since 2012, because of# issues with their self-driving features.

Over the last two years, U.S. safety regulators# have investigated nearly 1,000 crashes involving## Tesla's autopilot system, which can take over# fully steering, braking and acceleration.

A Washington Post report found about 40# of these crashes were fatal, including## eight where autopilot was engaged on roads# where it was not supposed to be used at all.

Washington Post reporter Faiz Siddiqui was one# of their journalists who did this analysis.

Faiz Siddiqui, thank you so much for being here.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So there's# this enorm Can you tell us a little bit# about what regulators and ow n reporting found was the problem with this# self-driving aut FAIZ SIDDIQUI, Technology Reporter, The Washington# Post: So what regulators have found here is that## Tesla autopilot is essentially able to activate# This was the subject of a Washington Post report# over the weekend.

We found there were eight deadly## crashes or serious crashes in which autopilot# was activated on a road that was not the type## of highway, on-ramp to off-ramp, think of an# interstate, in which it was designed to be used.

So there are these locations of what# the regulators call foreseeable misuse,## where someone could abuse the software by# activating it, say, on a long and winding## road with a lot of intersections, any# kind of residential city surface street,## where this is really intended -- think about# cruise control -- or an interstate highway## or at least a highway with clear demarcated lane# lines, exits, a center divider or what have you.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: You focus in# particular on one 2019 crash in Florida,## a man named Jeremy Banner, where he used# autopilot on one of these roads that were describing as not appropriate for autopilot.

Can you explain what happened in that case?

FAIZ SIDDIQUI: Yes.

a gentleman named Joshua Brown.

In the# Banner crash, a car was traveling down## a U.S. highway when it barreled into and# under a semitruck.

Banner was killed.

The## truck was obviously pulling out of a side# street as Banner's car was driving along.

And the car actually didn't come to a# stop until hundreds of feet later.

So## this was one of the early instances of autopilot# activated in a location where you're wondering,## why is this working somewhere a# truck could be pulling into?

That## does not seem like a controlled access highway.

And it also raised this question of,## is autopilot struggling to s WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, Tesla in its defense# says every time a driver accesses autopilot,## it gets this warning that you're# supposed to keep your hands on## the steering wheel and stay# alert to jump in But there's really no way to enforce# that a driver does that, right?

FAIZ SIDDIQUI: There is a way.

I don't# know if there's a regulatory will.

NHTSA has said it's an issue that is# complex, resource-intensive.

The regulator## would essentially have to impose a sort of a# restriction that it doesn't want to be seen## as imposing, as opposed to having voluntary# compliance, which is where Tesla is saying,## hey, it is your responsibility to activate# autopilot in a location in which it is safe.## We are not going to overburden you with# restrictions, because the so-called -- the## magic of the feature is that it makes# it feel like the car is driving itself.

Of course, it is not a self-driving car.

So# it's more of a question of regulatory will and,## I suppose, what sorts of restrictions# the company is willing to impose.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: I mean, some critics# of the government have argued that to## allow these 4,000-to-5,000-pound vehicles to# have Do those critics believe that this# current step is appropriate or sufficient?

FAIZ SIDDIQUI: I have spoken with# a lot of people in this space,## and I would say that the critical analysis of# this, and especi OK, let's ensure that this is not lip service to# the idea that Tesla does something.

Let's ensure## that Tesla actually does restrict the software# to the conditions for which it has been designed.

So one potential vein of criticism here# is that NHTSA has now issued a recall.## It is a voluntary recall.

The ball is now in# Tesla's court to impose those restrictions,## which might come in the form of notifications,# warnings, but they aren't going to be,## like -- they aren't going to fully restrict# the software from operating in these locations.

WILLIAM BRANGHAM: All right, Faiz Siddiqui# of The Washington Post, thank you so much.

FAIZ SIDDIQUI: Thank you.