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Tesla Cars No Longer Need Driver Input to Automatically Go Through Intersections

The latest Tesla software update enables a beta version of the so-called Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control to allow cars to automatically go through an intersection on a green traffic light.
The new feature is now available in Tesla cars as a beta 29 photos
Photo: Tesla Motors
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Previously, Tesla’s Autopilot was able to stop if a traffic light was red, but on the other hand, it wasn’t capable of going through on its own on a green light. Instead, it asked for confirmation from the driver to make sure that it was safe to drive despite detecting the green light.

Tesla has now changed this with the release of software update 2020.40.1 (this seems to be a small revision to the main 2020.40 update that we told you about yesterday), as the company has enabled an early beta of a feature that makes it possible for cars to automatically go through on a green light without any kind of input from the driver.

On the other hand, worth knowing is that the feature only works for a straight path, so Teslas are still unable to turn when entering an intersection on a green light.

“As you approach a green traffic light, in some situations where there is a straight path through the intersection, the Traffic Light and Stop Sign Control feature may no longer require explicit driver confirmation. If this occurs, the stop line in the driving visualization will turn green to indicate that the car will continue through an intersection. Confirmation is still required if your car is already stopped at the light when it turns green,” Tesla explains in the latest release notes.

“Note: this feature will not turn or attempt to turn through intersections, although over time, as we continue to learn from the fleet, we expect that it will control more naturally. For more information, please refer to the Owner’s Manual.”

As Tesla explains, if the car is stopped at a traffic light, driver input is still required for a Tesla to go through an intersection when it turns green, though this could change in a future update to allow for automatic driving without confirmation.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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