- Tesla CEO said earlier this month that the company was aiming for a wider release of FSD by the end of September
- The NTSB has said Tesla ignored its 2017 safety recommendations about Autopilot
Safety official says Tesla should address ‘basic safety issues’ before expanding full self-driving mode, says an article published in The Verge
Issue with FSD
Public beta button
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said earlier this month that the company was aiming for a wider release of FSD by the end of September, making a “public beta button” available to more Tesla customers. As the WSJ reports, an upgrade to the software which was designed primarily for driving on highways is expected, in order to make the vehicles ready for driving on city streets.
Basic safety issues
Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told the Wall Street Journal that Tesla should address “basic safety issues” before the carmaker expands its full self-driving (FSD) mode.
Full self-driving
Homendy had harsh words for Tesla’s use of the term “full self-driving,” which she called “misleading and irresponsible,” adding that Tesla has clearly misled numerous people to misuse and abuse technology. The NTSB can conduct investigations and make recommendations, but has no enforcement authority.
What is the reason?
According to documents obtained by legal transparency group PlainSite in May, Tesla’s director of Autopilot software had told the California Department of Motor Vehicles that Musk overstated the capabilities of the company’s advanced driver assist system, a precursor to FSD.
Tesla’s ignorance towards NTSB
The NTSB has said Tesla ignored its 2017 safety recommendations about Autopilot. The agency told Tesla and five other automakers they should add safeguards to advanced driver assistance systems so that it’s more difficult to misuse them. It also recommended the automakers limit where and when such driver assistance systems can be used.
Tesla was the only carmaker that did not officially respond to the NTSB recommendations, although it did increase the frequency of alerts if a driver takes their hands off the steering wheel when using Autopilot.
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Source: The Verge
