Consumer Reports Magazine Asks Tesla To Disable Autopilot Feature Until It Can Be Made Safe

Following a series of crashes, one of which was fatal, Tesla Motors, the automaker known for its high-performance electric vehicles and envelope-pushing technology, is now under intense scrutiny for the way it deployed and marketed its Autopilot driving-assist system.

The company’s aggressive roll-out of self-driving technology—in what it calls a “beta-test”—is forcing safety agencies and automakers to reassess the basic relationship between human drivers and their increasingly sophisticated cars. Last week, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) sent a letter to Tesla requesting detailed information about Autopilot, including any design changes and updates to the system, as well as detailed logs of when the system has prompted drivers to take over steering.

TheSteve - 7/14/2016 12:31:30 PM

+1 Boost

When a computer user uses beta software, they could lose data or the use of their computer.

When a car operator uses beta software (such as this specific product), they could cause an accident, personal injury, and lose lives.

In the right hands, Tesla's "AutoPilot" is just another curious gizmo that an informed and skilled driver can safely explore and likely not get into serious trouble. In the hands of Joe Public... well... we already know. We're seeing the reports.

USNA1999 - 7/14/2016 12:53:17 PM

+1 Boost

I love TESLA's response "While we appreciate well-meaning advice from any individual or group, we make our decisions on the basis of real-world data, not speculation by media". Screw Consumer Reports, they are a bunch of biased speculators.

Vette71 - 7/14/2016 3:09:31 PM

+3 Boost

Interesting informal survey to run. Ask a non-techie outside of the Bay Area what "beta" means, and then how often they go on blogs to get information. Techies in the Bay area need to understand that they exist in a bubble that doesn't reflect the vast population in the rest of the country/world. Putting a "beta" automobile in these folks hands is dangerous.

HenryN - 7/14/2016 7:30:48 PM

0 Boost

Tesla Motor forums provide a fairly comprehensive picture of the geo-demographics, technical/automotive knowledge and wisdom of the Tesla drivers (even the "non-techie outside of the Bay Area"). It can be very educational and should be visited at least once for an eye opener.

https://teslamotorsclub.com/tmc/categories/tesla-motors-forum.47/

Vette71 - 7/14/2016 9:01:25 PM

+3 Boost

HenryN. Any particular link to show the demographics of the buyers in particular? These were general forums with discussions/questions much like the sites for the cars I have owned over the years. Interested owners often techies tend to frequent those. They are a select group but a subset of the general population. Having sold technical products to well heeled folks like docs, lawyers, etc. I found they don't know what "beta" means. To a well heeled financial industry guy "beta" means something entirely different.

Vette71 - 7/14/2016 9:04:02 PM

+2 Boost

HenryN. Any particular link to show the demographics of the buyers in particular? These were general forums with discussions/questions much like the sites for the cars I have owned over the years. Interested owners often techies tend to frequent those. They are a select group but a subset of the general population. Having sold technical products to well heeled folks like docs, lawyers, etc. I found they don't know what "beta" means. To a well heeled financial industry guy "beta" means something entirely different.

HenryN - 7/15/2016 12:53:50 AM

0 Boost

Key word: comprehensive

MDarringer - 7/14/2016 3:50:15 PM

+4 Boost

The bottom line is that Tesla was negligent for releasing a technology before it was perfected and now it is being irresponsible as said technology is injuring and killing people.

hangtime010 - 7/14/2016 4:20:59 PM

-3 Boost

Haven't cars, in general, been in the wrong hands for many, many years!
The tv show Canada's Worst Driver comes to mind.
People with too much $$ and/or not enough common sense, education and driving ability (maybe all of them) have caused a lot more deaths than autopilot.
But we can't stop these idiots from buying another car or stop them from driving.
People spending more money on mods so their cars' can go faster, but a lot of the time they don't care about the brakes or suspension.
So the scapegoat is now autopilot and is being blamed for peoples' stupidity.

TheSteve - 7/15/2016 12:39:58 PM

+1 Boost

Sad, but true. I understand what AutoPilot does and does not do, so if I had a Tesla, I simply would not use the product. I'd just use plain old cruise control instead. I'd be immune to the AutoPilot fiasco, simply because I don't trust it to do the right thing.

TheSteve - 7/15/2016 12:42:59 PM

+1 Boost

I just want to add that in the US, we looooooove to blame-storm, and then we looooooove to put the lawyers to work to get as much money as we possibly can from those whom we blame. The US is Number 1 in the number of lawyers per capita. We're so good at this, at we beat the next 5 nations *combined*!!!