Report Finds Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot Function Pose Serious Safety Risks Without Driver Engagement
A newer Tesla feature to allow its cars to switch lanes automatically may present safety risks for drivers who are engaged while the setting is enabled, according to findings by Consumer Reports.
function offered through Tesla's Navigate on Autopilot feature. These issues reportedly include cutting off vehicles moving at faster speeds as well as traffic merging and braking issues. When merging into heavy traffic, according to Consumer Reports Director of Auto Testing Jake Fisher, the system “often immediately applies the brakes to create space behind the follow car — this can be a surprise to the vehicle you cut off.”
Moreover, the report stated that the function attempted to make changes that were ultimately illegal on highways where it was testing the feature in Connecticut.
Tesla said in an April blog post that through its customizable navigation options, Navigate on Autopilot can be set when en route to either turn on by itself, alert the driver of upcoming lane changes, or require a confirmation from the driver for the action. Drivers are capable of stopping and automatic lane change via the touchscreen of the car or by moving the vehicle's turn signal, and the electric car company notes that the feature does not make a car autonomous, and changes can only be made when a driver's hands are detected on the wheel. ”
Tesla states in the blog that are validated and approved by regulators, drivers are responsible for and remain in control of their car at all times. drivers with the feature enabled, according to Consumer Reports. But it found that when switching off the confirmation function, the pop-up is initially displayed when making the setting change but does not appear again while the feature is enabled and in use.
about the findings.
Around the same time that the feature was rolled out, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that he believes his technology will soon reach a point where "having a human intervening will decrease safety," something he says could happen as soon as later this year. However, he also said that while Teslas believes will be "feature-complete" by the end of 201[ads1]9, that is not synonymous with a completely autonomous experience requiring no driver oversight. He's said he does, however, predict that will be the case by the end of 2020.
Tesla said in April that through its internal and early access testing, "more than half a million miles" had been collectively driven with the autopilot lane change function enabled with a driver confirmation, in addition to more than 9 million successful suggested changes made with Navigate on Autopilot enabled. But ultimately, Fisher argued, the oversight required of the automatic lane change function for safe operation "is much harder than just changing lanes yourself."
