Tesla goes almost self-driving
TESLA HAS LAUNCHED a beta version of what it terms Full Self-Driving (FSD)—not technically fully autonomous driving, but close. You’ll still need to sit in the driver’s seat and prove you are a safe driver, with Tesla examining your driving record for examples of hard turning or braking, and collision warnings. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are busy investigating a number of Tesla crashes. The NTSB has called the name Full Self-Driving “misleading and irresponsible”, since it certainly isn’t ‘Full’.
Accidents with self-driving cars are over reported, but there has been an issue with cars plowing into emergency vehicles under Autopilot. A big part of the problem is a false sense of security from the drivers. A recent report from MIT confirmed that with self-driving mode engaged, people don’t pay attention. It’s why experts advocate jumping from assisted modes to fully autonomous, avoiding the intermediate steps.
Self-driving vehicles have attracted billions of dollars of investment from major car manufacturers and tech companies. But over the past few years, expectations have cooled and, despite what Elon Musk says, fully autonomous driving remains a massive technical hurdle. The human world is complicated and fully autonomous vehicles remain practical only in specific environments. Meanwhile, the first fully autonomous, and crewless, cargo ship is due to set sail later this year.