A Tesla Model 3 driver using Autopilot crashed into a Texas home at high speed, killing 76-year-old Martha Avila. NHTSA is launching a special crash investigation, adding to an existing engineering analysis covering over three million Tesla vehicles with Full Self-Driving software. The incident highlights regulatory tensions: NHTSA recently certified the Tesla Model Y as the first vehicle to pass new driver-assistance safety tests, while simultaneously investigating Tesla's technology. Tesla is also lobbying the Trump administration to relax autonomous vehicle safety rules, and NHTSA's self-driving division has been reduced following DOGE staff cuts. Critics point to Tesla's mixed messaging around Autopilot capabilities and a crash rate for its Austin robotaxi service roughly four times worse than the human average.
