Tesla could restrict some of the features that make up Autopilot, its suite of electronic driving aids, in a bid to encourage motorists to use them properly.
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Currently, however, if the driver gets rid of the alert by gripping the wheel, they can return to Autopilot mode; in the update, Electrek reports, a driver who ignores the warning will have to stop their vehicle and put the gear-stick into “Park” before they can re-activate Autopilot. Now, Elektrek reports Tesla just added some new safety features as preventative measures in light of recent accidents involving Autopilot. Driving is still driving and it requires attention.
For those that ignore the “Hold Steering Wheel” messages, the new autopilot feature will carry out an ‘abort procedure, claims motoring news website Electrek. This is a precautionary measure to make sure the driver is still paying attention instead of exclusively relying on the auto to keep itself tracking properly along the road.
Autosteer is Autopilot’s key feature that helps keep the equipped Tesla vehicle in lane with traffic. At this moment, the system is programmed to issue visual and audible reminders to the driver to apply pressure on the steering wheel as a sign that they’re still present and ready to take over at any time. It’s the arm of Autopilot that primarily controls the semi-autonomous steering when you decide not to do it yourself. This implied the driver in the latest incident ignored the alerts and prompts to put its hands back on the wheel.
The Autopilot 8.0 by Tesla is under monitoring for the final verdict.
But the Tesla system, which was also the first to market, has been associated with several accidents over the last few months. The Model X crash at Pennsylvania happened because the driver did not respond to the system alerts in time.
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The company would be updating the software soon and will be progressing towards the 8.0 version of autopilot software.
