ReportWire

Tag: automotive safety

  • AAA: Ring in the New Year responsibly

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    WESTWOOD — As 2025 comes to a close, AAA Northeast urges those who plan to take part in year-end holiday celebrations to designate a sober driver.

    In December 2023, 1,038 people were killed in drunk-driving crashes nationwide — with more than a quarter of those fatalities occurring during the Christmas and New Year holiday periods according to the latest data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nighttime driving is significantly more dangerous than daytime driving: 30% of drivers involved in fatal crashes between 6 p.m. and 5:59 a.m. were drunk.

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  • Tesla’s ‘Mad Max’ Mode is Now Being Investigated by U.S. Regulators

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    Another day, another federal probe into Elon Musk’s troubled EV company. This week, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reportedly announced that it was looking into one of Tesla’s automated driving modes, which is charmingly called “Mad Max.”

    If you haven’t heard of “Mad Max,” that’s probably because it’s new. Ars Technica notes that it and another mode, “Sloth,” were added to cars by a firmware update issued earlier this month. Well, Reuters now reports some folks on social media have been complaining that Teslas using the driving mode were exceeding the speed limit (that certainly sounds like something Max would do). Now, the government is looking into it.

    “NHTSA is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information,” the agency told Reuters. “The human behind the wheel is fully responsible for driving the vehicle and complying with all traffic safety laws.” There’s not a whole lot of information available other than that, but Gizmodo reached out to Tesla for comment (although the company dissolved a majority of its communications team years ago), and to the NHTSA for more information.

    Who would have thought that a semi-automated driving mode named after a vengeful dystopian drifter with a lead foot might someday catch the eye of federal regulators? Not I. Sarcasm aside, Tesla’s FSD function has been probed by federal regulators for years so, for that reason too, this isn’t all that surprising. FSD has been criticized because, despite its name, it does still require the driver to…you know, drive.

    Earlier this month, the NHTSA also opened an investigation into Tesla over dozens of reports that alleged its vehicles were running stop signs while engaged with FSD, CBS previously reported. Tesla also recently lost a wrongful death lawsuit involving Autopilot that will reportedly cost them $329 million.

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    Lucas Ropek

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  • Feds Launch Investigation Into Faulty Tesla Doors

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    U.S. regulators just launched an investigation into faulty door handles on certain Tesla cars, after receiving several reports of exterior handles glitching and leaving children trapped inside.

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Tuesday that it’s opening a preliminary probe into Tesla’s electrically powered door handles, focusing on 2021 Model Y vehicles. The review covers nearly 175,000 cars and will gauge how widespread and serious the problem is.

    “At this time, NHTSA’s investigation is focused on the operability of the electronic door locks from outside of the vehicle as that circumstance is the only one in which there is no manual way to open the door,” the regulator said on its website. “The agency will continue to monitor any reports of entrapment involving opening doors from inside of the vehicle, and ODI [Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)] will take further action as needed.” 

    The probe comes just days after an investigation from Bloomberg revealed multiple cases in which people were hurt or even died when Teslas lost power—typically after crashes—and their doors wouldn’t open. Bloomberg reports that the NHTSA has received over 140 complaints since 2018 about Tesla doors sticking, not opening, or otherwise failing.

    This is also the NHTSA’s third active probe into Tesla vehicles. The agency is already investigating the safety of the company’s Full Self-Driving and driver-assistance systems. The NHTSA said it opened this new investigation after receiving nine reports of people being unable to open the doors on 2021 Model Y cars from the outside.

    The agency said the most common scenario involved parents stepping out of a car to put a child in or take a child out of the back seat. When they tried to get back in, the doors wouldn’t open.

    The agency noted that Tesla vehicles do have manual door releases inside, but a child might not be able to reach or know how to use them. In four of these reports, people resorted to breaking a window to get back into the car.

    The agency called the defect especially concerning because it could trap people in an emergency, like young children left in a hot car.

    The agency also said that the defect seems to happen when the electronic door locks don’t get enough power from the car. Available repair invoices show that the car’s low-voltage battery was replaced following the incidents; however, none of the reports mention drivers ever seeing a low-voltage battery warning beforehand. 

    Although the Tesla Owner’s Manual explains a multi-step process to restore power to electronic door locks using an external 12-volt source, it may be difficult to use in an emergency.

    Tesla did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Gizmodo.

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    Bruce Gil

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  • Peabody man charged with 6th OUI in motorcycle crash

    Peabody man charged with 6th OUI in motorcycle crash

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    PEABODY — A Peabody man was arrested on a sixth drunk driving offense earlier this month after crashing a motorcycle into a stone wall while under the influence.

    The incident occurred just before 11 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the corner of Franklin and Kosciusko streets.

    George Bradley, 55, was allegedly speeding down Franklin Street on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he noticed a stop sign too late, tried to break and “left a skid mark for approximately 50 feet before disregarding the stop sign and crashing into the stone wall of 5 Kosciusko St.,” according to a police report.

    Bradley was evaluated at the scene for injuries, but refused to be taken to the hospital, police said. While the motorcycle was dented in the crash, the wall was undamaged.

    Police said Bradley failed field sobriety tests at the scene and was arrested.

    In addition to a sixth drunk driving offense, he was charged with operating an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, negligently operating a vehicle and driving with a suspended license.

    Police said the motorcycle was owned by someone other than Bradley.

    The Essex County District Attorney’s office confirmed that Bradley did have his driver’s license revoked for life upon his fifth OUI offense, per state law.

    He is being held without bail following a dangerousness hearing.

    Contact Caroline Enos at CEnos@northofboston.com.

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    By Caroline Enos | Staff Writer

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