NHTSA staffers evaluating the risks of self-driving cars were reportedly fired by DOGE

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) fired about 30 members of the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in February, and many of them were part of a department that assesses the risks of self-driving cars, according to the Financial Times.

One worker laid off from the NHTSA’s so-called “office of vehicle automation safety” told the FT that DOGE’s actions could “weaken NHTSA’s ability to understand self-driving technologies.” Another worker said it’d be “ironic” if the firings would slow down Tesla’s plans for autonomous vehicles. 

Tesla is under multiple investigations from the NHTSA over its automated features, including its Full Self-Driving software and remote summon feature. Tesla’s FSD and Autopilot driver assistant systems have more reported crashes on the road than any other company.

Families of victims who died in Tesla crashes have urged Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to protect Biden-era rules to report automated vehicle crashes, fearing Musk’s involvement in the Trump Administration could influence investigations.

The firings also came just months after the NHTSA released a new framework that could ease regulation on self-driving cars, but in exchange, companies would need to share more data with the regulator.