{"id":28814,"date":"2023-01-09T22:39:12","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T22:39:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/nhtsa-has-questions-for-tesla-after-musk-tweets-about-removing-fsd-safeguard\/"},"modified":"2023-01-09T22:39:12","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T22:39:12","slug":"nhtsa-has-questions-for-tesla-after-musk-tweets-about-removing-fsd-safeguard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mailinvest.blog\/index.php\/2023\/01\/09\/nhtsa-has-questions-for-tesla-after-musk-tweets-about-removing-fsd-safeguard\/","title":{"rendered":"NHTSA has questions for Tesla after Musk tweets about removing FSD safeguard"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Unsurprisingly, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has questions for Tesla after CEO Elon Musk tweeted<\/a> that a future software update would remove a driver monitoring safeguard from the company\u2019s vehicles. The safeguard requires drivers to keep their hands on the wheel when using the Autopilot Full Self-Driving (FSD) system.<\/p>\n

First reported by the\u00a0Associated Press<\/em><\/a>, an NHTSA spokesperson confirmed to\u00a0The Verge<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>that the agency had reached out to Tesla to gather information about Musk\u2019s tweet. Moreover, the information gathering is part of a broader investigation into Tesla\u2019s Autopilot system, which has been linked to over a dozen crashes involving stationary emergency vehicles.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that Tesla made its FSD Beta available to everyone in North America who requests it<\/a> (assuming they\u2019ve bought the feature) in November.<\/p>\n

The Musk tweet in question was posted on December 31st in response to a tweet from Omar Qazi, a Tesla shareholder that tweets under the handle \u2018@WholeMarsBlog.\u2019 (You may remember this account as the one that sought actual children to stand in front of a Tesla vehicle to prove the Autopilot system would stop before striking them<\/a>.) Qazi suggested Tesla owners with over 10,000 miles on the FSD Beta should be able to turn off the \u201csteering wheel nag.\u201d Musk replied<\/a>, \u201cAgreed, update coming in Jan.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Agreed, update coming in Jan<\/p>\n

\u2014 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 31, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

However, regulators and safety experts have long wanted Tesla to improve its driver monitoring systems, not degrade them. Tesla\u2019s FSD Beta is a \u2018Level 2\u2019 advanced driver-assistance system, despite Musk\u2019s repeated promises that it would soon be fully autonomous<\/a>. That means the driver must remain fully engaged in operating the vehicle.<\/p>\n

Other vehicle manufacturers, like General Motors and Ford, include camera-based eye-tracking systems in their vehicles. These systems are meant to ensure drivers pay attention when using driver assistance features. Tesla, on the other hand, uses torque sensors in the steering wheel to make sure drivers keep their hands at the ready. However, some have found ways to trick this system, with Consumer Reports\u00a0<\/em>discovering that a heavy chain could be used to simulate hands on the wheel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The FSD Beta has proven controversial as Tesla has increased availability. Aside from the ongoing NHTSA investigation \u2014 which could be headed toward a recall<\/a> \u2014 there\u2019s also a U.S. Justice Department investigation<\/a>, and Tesla is facing a lawsuit claiming it mislead customers about the capabilities of FSD<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Source: @elonmusk<\/a> Via: The Verge<\/a>, Associated Press<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n