NHTSA has requested an internal Tesla document titled "Radar Saves Us" as part of its investigation into FSD crashes occurring in reduced-visibility conditions, according to Electrek.
The probe centers on incidents involving glare, fog and airborne dust — conditions known to compromise camera-based perception systems.
The case underscores a core autonomy principle: safe self-driving requires complementary sensing technologies with different strengths and failure modes, with high-resolution imaging radar offering perception and redundancy when cameras are compromised.