Tesla’s ‘Autopilot’ Feature Can’t Be Trusted
In the approaching age of self-driving vehicles, Tesla is one company that is paving the way for major technological advancements in the automobile sector. A number of their models can receive remote “software upgrades”, including the latest feature to be added to the Tesla Model S, or the autopilot feature. However, experience with the autopilot feature has proven to be dangerous, and a number of drivers have expressed their concerns about the technology’s capabilities.
When the 7.0 software upgrade was issued for the Model S back in October, owners of the vehicle excitedly experimented with new autopilot features such as: Autosteer, the ability to automatically switch lanes and to manage speed. The system, like a number of other assisted driving technologies, uses a forward-facing radar, a forward-looking camera, ultrasonic sensors and processors to guide a vehicle on a road. These technologies notwithstanding, the autopilot features can prove dangerous when they aren’t used on straight-ahead predictable highways. In testing out the technology, a number of drivers have reported that they were steered off highways, made to automatically exit, cross over incoming lane divides and worse. Tesla hasn’t taken responsibility for these occurrences, with Elon Musk stating, “The driver cannot abdicate responsibility,” at the release of the autopilot features.
It is clear that Tesla’s autopilot technology poses dangerous risks to drivers, and perhaps it was released to the general public prematurely. Google, on the other hand, promises that it’s self-driving vehicle won’t hit the road until it ensures that it can be safely driven, even when there aren’t any passengers inside. Other automobile makers like Mercedes have introduced “assisted” driving features, like auto steering and collision warnings, but they are by no means calling them “automatic” driving features. Some are calling Tesla “cavalier” for being too quick to enjoin their product with the autonomous driving revolution. While the owners of Models S vehicles are probably disappointed with Tesla’s false marketing, others in the autonomous car industry see the failure of the autopilot features more seriously as a call for more stringent and specific regulations.