A doorbell cam captured the Tesla Autopilot crash that killed a woman at her home

Trump’s NHTSA is closely aligned with Musk

In 2023, Tesla recalled more than two million vehicles– any car with Autopilot – after regulators found that the car maker had not used it in a way that required drivers to be alert. The recall followed NHTSA’s 2021 investigation into technology-related crashes and fatalities.

Since then, Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has led the government’s efficiency department interfered with NHTSA’s staffing and technology evaluation of AV safety. Then, after a short time, when the team had dwindled, Tesla’s Full Self-Driving System (FSD) has grown significantly. Alarming reports of Tesla FSD failures sparked a new NHTSA investigation last October, which Tesla was slow to respond.

It’s unclear whether the Texas crash will land Tesla in even hotter water. NHTSA did not respond to Ars’ request for comment, but the agency appears to be closely aligned with Musk on the removal of AVs.

In January, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison it has been confirmed in a statement the agency considers 2026 to be a “big” year for AV rulemaking. He added that NHTSA is moving quickly to change the rules to accommodate Tesla’s future plans, which are coming soon, while hoping that public intervention won’t be needed “when they see things going weird.”

“I’m talking about cars that don’t require human intervention – cars that you can sleep in,” Morrison said.

Morrison said the technology is “one of the most difficult problems that people have ever tried” and acknowledged that it is “critical to security.” But he criticized the Biden administration for focusing on “forcing AV manufacturers and safety research” and said that under the Trump administration, improving American AVs should be a priority.

“We’re not going to be embarrassed when we see something that we believe is a risk to the public,” Morrison said. “But this technology’s promise to society is too great to ignore, or worse, discourage, or ban.”

According to Morrison, this “path” to the future requires putting safety first, while “moving quickly” to remove “unnecessary barriers” and “making AVs commercially available to improve safety and mobility for Americans.”

“To be clear, this includes the commercial deployment of purpose-built AVs without traditional controls such as steering wheels or brake pedals,” Morrison said.