Consumer Reports recently conducted tests on 12 major driver assistance systems, and found that Tesla’s Autopilot system fell to seventh place. Ford Motor’s BlueCruise and General Motors’ Super Cruise were the top two systems, followed by Mercedes-Benz Driver Assistance. Despite Tesla not making any changes to Autopilot’s basic functionality, the company has instead added more features to it. According to Consumer Reports Auto Testing director Jake Fisher, Autopilot still does not allow collaborative steering and does not have an effective driver monitoring system.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating 830,000 Autopilot-equipped Teslas after several crashes with parked emergency vehicles. NHTSA is looking into whether or not Tesla vehicles adequately ensure drivers are paying attention. In June, the agency said evidence suggested drivers in most crashes with emergency vehicles under review had complied with Tesla’s alert strategy that seeks to compel driver attention, raising questions about its effectiveness.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has also criticized Tesla’s Autopilot system for its “ineffective monitoring of driver engagement” after a 2018 fatal Autopilot crash. Autopilot is designed to enable the car to steer, accelerate and brake within its lane without driver intervention, but Tesla stresses that the feature requires “active driver supervision and do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
In conclusion, Tesla’s Autopilot system has been found to be lacking in safety features, leading to several investigations by the NHTSA and criticism by the NTSB. Despite Tesla’s attempts to add more features to Autopilot, the system still does not allow collaborative steering and does not have an effective driver monitoring system. This has caused Tesla’s Autopilot system to fall to seventh place in Consumer Reports’ rankings of 12 major driver assistance systems. It is clear that Tesla must make further improvements to their Autopilot system in order to make it a safe and reliable autonomous driving system.
As autonomous driving technology continues to evolve and become increasingly commonplace, it is essential that automakers take the necessary steps to ensure that their driver assistance systems are safe and reliable. Automakers must ensure that their driver assistance systems are equipped with the necessary safety features, such as an effective driver monitoring system and collaborative steering. Furthermore, automakers must also ensure that their driver assistance systems are regularly tested and evaluated in order to identify any potential safety issues or flaws. By taking these steps, automakers can help to ensure that their driver assistance systems are safe and reliable, and can help to prevent crashes and fatalities due to driver negligence or errors.
