Photo: Janchubi/Weibo | Edited
A Greek accident investigator accuses Tesla of introducing a "special feature" that facilitates sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) events. In a lengthy technical document submitted to the NHTSA, Costas Lakafossis argues that the ability to switch into Reverse without applying brakes confuses people and leads to accidents and injuries.
Another feature unique to Tesla cars might get scrutiny from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after a recent defect petition. Costas Lakafossis thinks many sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) events are caused by the lack of an "interlock that requires a brake application by the driver in order to shift from DRIVE to REVERSE." The Greek engineer wants the US agency to recall more than 1.6 million Teslas built after 2013.
Lakafossis thinks that a software design error, combined with the Autopilot, can increase the likelihood of driver errors. Specifically, the ability to stop and shift into Reverse when the driver is ready to park, all without touching the brake pedal, increases the chance that the driver applies the foot on the wrong pedal. Tesla drivers may press the accelerator instead of the brake pedal "because the vehicle and automatic braking encourage drivers to remove their feet from the pedals and enjoy a technologically advanced self-braking car."
Lakafossis has watched videos of Tesla vehicles accelerating out of control. In all these cases, drivers claimed that they pressed the brakes, but the car would not stop. Investigations later revealed that they were pushing the accelerator, causing the cars to speed and crash. We've recently seen such cases, including two viral videos from China.
The Greek investigator thinks there is no practical benefit in the ability to shift the car in Reverse without pressing the brake pedal. He points out that, since the 1980s, cars have been fitted with a brake transmission shift interlock that requires drivers to apply brakes before they can shift into Reverse. This reduces the chance of sudden unintended acceleration in vehicles with automatic transmissions. The feature has become mandatory in new cars since 2010, and it's intriguing that Tesla does not comply.
In Lakafossis's opinion, removing both feet from the pedals significantly contributes to the increased risk of pedal misapplication errors. The Greek engineer points to a series of crashes in the petition submitted to the NHTSA. He recommends disallowing the current feature and forcing Tesla to do an over-the-air software update to address the issue.
The NHTSA will evaluate the petition, and if it finds it appropriate, it might open a defect investigation. This can be a lengthy process, and it's not guaranteed to result in a recall. The NHTSA has investigated more than 200 SUA events in the past and concluded that the incidents were caused by pedal misapplication. Still, there was no evidence of a design factor contributing to increased likelihood of pedal misapplication in Tesla vehicles.
Lakafossis thinks that a software design error, combined with the Autopilot, can increase the likelihood of driver errors. Specifically, the ability to stop and shift into Reverse when the driver is ready to park, all without touching the brake pedal, increases the chance that the driver applies the foot on the wrong pedal. Tesla drivers may press the accelerator instead of the brake pedal "because the vehicle and automatic braking encourage drivers to remove their feet from the pedals and enjoy a technologically advanced self-braking car."
Lakafossis has watched videos of Tesla vehicles accelerating out of control. In all these cases, drivers claimed that they pressed the brakes, but the car would not stop. Investigations later revealed that they were pushing the accelerator, causing the cars to speed and crash. We've recently seen such cases, including two viral videos from China.
The Greek investigator thinks there is no practical benefit in the ability to shift the car in Reverse without pressing the brake pedal. He points out that, since the 1980s, cars have been fitted with a brake transmission shift interlock that requires drivers to apply brakes before they can shift into Reverse. This reduces the chance of sudden unintended acceleration in vehicles with automatic transmissions. The feature has become mandatory in new cars since 2010, and it's intriguing that Tesla does not comply.
In Lakafossis's opinion, removing both feet from the pedals significantly contributes to the increased risk of pedal misapplication errors. The Greek engineer points to a series of crashes in the petition submitted to the NHTSA. He recommends disallowing the current feature and forcing Tesla to do an over-the-air software update to address the issue.
The NHTSA will evaluate the petition, and if it finds it appropriate, it might open a defect investigation. This can be a lengthy process, and it's not guaranteed to result in a recall. The NHTSA has investigated more than 200 SUA events in the past and concluded that the incidents were caused by pedal misapplication. Still, there was no evidence of a design factor contributing to increased likelihood of pedal misapplication in Tesla vehicles.
Google News