Photo: Screenshot from Tesla video
Tesla's Autopilot technology is the closest thing on the market to a fully autonomous car. While the system has its drawbacks, it is supported with considerable enthusiasm by Elon Musk, the company's CEO.
After the first fatal accident involving a car driving with the Autopilot system activated, some concerns have been raised about the possibility that Tesla has not taken every possible precaution with allowing people to drive vehicles that can operate without driver input.
CNN talked with several Tesla employees involved in the Autopilot project, and some of them disclosed their concerns regarding the safety of the system, but it all happened under the cover of anonymity. The quoted employees felt that the automaker should have waited more before enabling the technology for its customers.
Even with the disclaimer that is presented to each driver before activating Autopilot, the employees that worked on the development of the system believe that the company could do more to keep users safe while operating with the feature enabled.
From day one, the team was aware that any unforeseen flaw or shortcoming in the operation of the Autopilot technology could lead to injury or death from its users, and the accident that occurred this May underlined their statements.
Among the things that Tesla employees feared the most with Autopilot technology was the possibility of drivers misusing the technology. While being asked to be attentive to what happens on the road ahead and always be aware of their surroundings, Tesla drivers using Autopilot have been spotted doing reckless things, including sleeping or focusing on their smartphones.
We must note that these distractions are possible in conventional vehicles, the Autopilot system drives well enough to allow users “get away” with things that are not possible in other cars, like using a smartphone with both hands, without getting into a crash.
Unfortunately for Tesla, each accident involving Autopilot is under scrutiny from safety regulators, even if it is not necessarily the company's fault that drivers were not paying attention to the road.
Other voices say that Tesla has a part of the blame for using the name “Autopilot,” which might make some people believe the car can drive itself in any situation, something that Tesla never advertised.
Regardless of rumors and concerns, each Tesla car driving with Autopilot sends data to the mother company, and the system is improved each day with whatever engineers can throw at it.
Even if people say Autopilot is not as safe as it could be, it is still the best thing the industry has on the road, actively driving, while other automakers still refrain from enabling similar features on their comparable models.
CNN talked with several Tesla employees involved in the Autopilot project, and some of them disclosed their concerns regarding the safety of the system, but it all happened under the cover of anonymity. The quoted employees felt that the automaker should have waited more before enabling the technology for its customers.
Even with the disclaimer that is presented to each driver before activating Autopilot, the employees that worked on the development of the system believe that the company could do more to keep users safe while operating with the feature enabled.
From day one, the team was aware that any unforeseen flaw or shortcoming in the operation of the Autopilot technology could lead to injury or death from its users, and the accident that occurred this May underlined their statements.
Among the things that Tesla employees feared the most with Autopilot technology was the possibility of drivers misusing the technology. While being asked to be attentive to what happens on the road ahead and always be aware of their surroundings, Tesla drivers using Autopilot have been spotted doing reckless things, including sleeping or focusing on their smartphones.
We must note that these distractions are possible in conventional vehicles, the Autopilot system drives well enough to allow users “get away” with things that are not possible in other cars, like using a smartphone with both hands, without getting into a crash.
Unfortunately for Tesla, each accident involving Autopilot is under scrutiny from safety regulators, even if it is not necessarily the company's fault that drivers were not paying attention to the road.
Other voices say that Tesla has a part of the blame for using the name “Autopilot,” which might make some people believe the car can drive itself in any situation, something that Tesla never advertised.
Regardless of rumors and concerns, each Tesla car driving with Autopilot sends data to the mother company, and the system is improved each day with whatever engineers can throw at it.
Even if people say Autopilot is not as safe as it could be, it is still the best thing the industry has on the road, actively driving, while other automakers still refrain from enabling similar features on their comparable models.
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