Tesla Motors chief executive officer Elon Musk, received a letter from the chairman of the United States Senate committee regarding the Tesla vehicle accident in Florida.
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Consumer Reports also wanted the Autopilot feature name changed to avoid giving a false sense of security about the car’s ability to drive itself.
Washington, July 1, 2016 (AFP) -It could be a wakeup call for the self-driving auto movement.
Two recent accidents, one fatal, have involved drivers using Autopilot, though specifics of how much the drivers were involved in piloting the cars at the time were not available.
“I am interested in the company’s efforts to ensure the Autopilot technology was deployed safely in this instance”, read the letter from Thune, the committee chairman.
Since autonomous systems are aimed to reduce traffic fatalities and accidents, he also wanted to know how the company plans to educate vehicle owners regarding the technology’s benefits, limitations, and use.
Tesla could not be immediately reached for comment on Thune’s letter.
The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said last week that it was reviewing the Pennsylvania crash.
Driver Albert Scaglione had reportedly told police that he activated the automated system before the July 1 rollover accident on the turnpike in Bedford County. Tesla has always said that Autopilot “functions like the systems that airplane pilots use when conditions are clear”. They also added that the driver is still responsible for, and should still be ultimately in control of the vehicle. It came shortly after the federal agency opened an inquiry into a separate crash that killed a driver in Florida in May. The publication asks that the feature should be deactivated until it is reprogrammed to make it mandatory for drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. Consumer Reports believes that drivers get confused by Tesla’s message, which is that Autopilot drives the vehicle autonomously but requires the constant and full attention of the driver.
As an investigation into the first fatal crash involving an Autopilot-equipped Tesla Model S continues, the electric-car company had some good news to share on Thursday. However, she underlines that there are concerns over the “unproven technology”.
The magazine Consumer Reports states that that Tesla should block its autopilot steering technology and rebrand it. “While we appreciate well-meaning advice from any individual or group, we make our decisions on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by media” Tesla said in a statement on Thursday.
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When testing the 2016 Model X 90D on a straight road, the driver removed his hands from the steering wheel for more than three minutes before being given any warnings.
