More radar = better safety

Tesla is making improvements to its Autopilot system that it says will slash the frequency and severity of crashes involving its vehicles.

The electric car company recently announced upgrades that will increase the semi-autonomous mode’s reliance on radar and relegate the car’s cameras to the back seat. To do that, the radar will use more advanced signal processing to create a better picture of the surrounding world.

The changes follow a May crash involving a Tesla Model S that was using Autopilot mode at the time. The driver died after crashing into a tractor-trailer.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating the crash and reviewing Tesla’s Autopilot updates.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk says the improvements, which its cars will receive in the form of a software update, likely would have prevented that crash. He predicts that the upgrades will ultimately cut the accident rate for Tesla vehicles by more than 50 percent.

Tesla’s Autopilot system can maintain a set speed, keep the car within its lane and brake automatically. Radar helps the car identify road features and hazards that cameras might miss in bright sunlight, fog or other bad weather.