In the past 15 months, no one has been more responsible for safety on the nation's roads than Ann Carlson. For much of that time she has served as acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, where she started as chief counsel in 2021.

But on Wednesday, Carlson's time running the agency and as its chief lawyer will come to an end. She's returning to Los Angeles to resume teaching at the UCLA School of Law.

During her tenure, the agency known by the acronym NHTSA has made autonomous vehicle companies and automakers report crashes involving automated systems, creating a large database.

In an interview with The Associated Press, she talked about a recall to address safety problems with Tesla's Autopilot partially automated driving system, the agency's quest to get ARC Automotive Inc. to recall 52 million air bag inflators that can explode with too much force, and other issues.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: Last month you pressured Tesla into recalling 2 million vehicles with Autopilot because it doesn't make sure drivers are paying adequate attention to the road. There have been numerous crashes. Two motorcyclists were hit and killed in 2022 by Teslas apparently on Autopilot driving on freeways. How closely will NHTSA look at Tesla's software update to fix the problem?

A: We'll look at everything. If you take a look at what we have made available, there are crashes both on and off highway. And they're both of concern. We need to make sure that drivers are attentive and that they're not assuming the system is actually sufficient to operate without driver attentiveness. One of the big messages we want to stress over and over again is that drivers need to keep paying attention, but also that a vehicle needs to be designed in a way that doesn't lull a driver into believing that that car can take care of every situation.

Q: Consumer Reports and others that have tested Tesla's remedy say it increases the number of warnings that drivers get if they don't put hands on the steering wheel. But they say steering wheel sensors aren't enough to make sure drivers are watching, that the recall doesn't limit Autopilot's operation to freeways where it's designed to work, and cameras in the cabin can be covered up so they don't look at drivers. Does the remedy do enough to keep drivers from relying too much on the car?

A: I can't really comment yet on the sufficiency of the remedy. NHTSA has the authority to evaluate the remedy and ensure that it's adequate. We have in the past sometimes required a second recall if the remedy is inadequate. The burden is on the manufacturer to remedy the unreasonable risk to safety.

Q: The agency made an initial finding that ARC Automotive Inc. should recall 52 million air bag inflators because they can explode and hurl shrapnel. The company doesn't want to do the recall, and several automakers are opposing it. You've held a public hearing, and the next step could be seeking a court order. What's the status of that?

A: It is very unusual for us to be in a position where we hold a public hearing. The purpose is for us to take evidence and then to make a determination about whether our initial finding is, in fact, correct. The public comment period closed. We're in the process of evaluating those comments.

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