Articles by Tom Krisher

AP Auto Writer

U.S. Agency Probes Tesla Crashes That Killed 2 Motorcyclists

Two crashes involving Teslas apparently running on Autopilot are drawing scrutiny from federal regulators and point to a potential new hazard on U.S. freeways: The partially automated vehicles may not stop for motorcycles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sent …

New NHTSA Chief: Agency to Scrutinize Auto-Driver Technology

The new head of the government’s road safety agency says it will intensify efforts to understand the risks posed by automated vehicle technology, so it can decide what regulations may be necessary to protect drivers, passengers and pedestrians. In an …

Class Action Accuses 3 Automakers, Parts Maker of Selling Risky Air Bag Inflators

A class action lawsuit is accusing three automakers and a parts manufacturer of knowingly selling vehicles containing air bag inflators that are at risk of exploding. Two deaths and at least four injuries have been linked to such explosions. The …

SEC Claims Authority to Subpoena Elon Musk About Tweets

U.S. securities regulators say they have legal authority to subpoena Tesla and CEO Elon Musk about his tweets, and that Musk’s move to throw out a 2018 court agreement that his tweets be pre-approved is not valid. The Securities and …

Study: SUVs, Pickups Hit Pedestrians More Often Than Cars Do

Drivers of bigger vehicles such as pickup trucks and SUVs are more likely to hit pedestrians while making turns than drivers of cars, according to a new study. The research released Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety points …

Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee Defies Expectations on Employer-Employee Cases

Labor unions and worker advocates have applauded President Joe Biden’s nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson for the Supreme Court. Yet a look back at Jackson’s decisions in cases involving business and labor suggest that she won’t always rule as …

Tesla to Fix 800K Vehicles for Seat Belt Chime Problem

Tesla is recalling more than 817,000 vehicles in the U.S. because the seat belt reminder chimes may not sound when the vehicles are started and the driver hasn’t buckled up. The recall covers the 2021 and 2022 Model S sedan …

Transportation Safety Chief Objects to Use of Driver Error Statistic

With traffic fatalities spiking higher, the nation’s top safety investigator says a widely cited government statistic that 94% of serious crashes are solely due to driver error is misleading and that the Transportation Department should stop using it. Jennifer Homendy, …

Complaints of Hyundai-Kia Engine Fires Trigger Safety Probe

U.S. auto safety regulators have stepped up a series of investigations into engine fires that have plagued Hyundai and Kia vehicles for more than six years. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says a new engineering analysis investigation covers more …

NTSB: Driver was Behind Wheel When Tesla Crashed Near Houston, Killing Two

A driver was behind the wheel when a Tesla electric car crashed and burned last April near Houston, killing two men, neither of whom was found in the driver’s seat. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board announced the findings in …