The federal government is preparing a major upgrade of its driver assistance software, but the top Federal crash investigator says the move might be premature.
Tesla Chief Executive said last week that drivers will soon be able to request an enhanced version of its full self-driving capability which Tesla calls its enhanced profile. The upgrade is expected to add a feature intended to help vehicles navigate highways, expanding the suite of driver-assistance tools that had been designed mainly for city driving.
Despite its name, Full Self-Driving and Tesla instructs drivers to remain alert, with their hands on the wheel.
Jennifer Homendy, the new head of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Tesla shouldn't roll out the city-driving instrument before addressing what the agency views as safety deficiencies in the company s technology. The NTSB, which investigates crashes and issues safety recommendations, although it does not have any regulatory authority, has urged Tesla to clamp down on how drivers can use the company's driver-assistance tools.
Basic safety issues have to be resolved before they re-develop it to other streets and areas, she said in an interview. Ms. Homendy expressed concerns about Tesla software testing on public roads.
Ms. Homendy called Tesla's use of the term complete self-drive irresponsible and misleading, adding that people pay more attention to marketing than warnings in car manuals or on a company s website. In Tesla's case, she said, It had clearly misled numerous people to misuse and abuse technology. Tesla has said that Mr. Musk s advanced driver assist features make accident deaths safer and prevent driving from occurring. He is about the automatic full-wheeling system in recent months.
We need to make full self-driving work to be a compelling value proposition. If people are also gambling on the future, you know, they were apt to do it in July, responding to a question about customer interest in subscribing to Tesla's full self-driving package.
Some safety advocates and transportation officials have raised concerns that motorists may be overestimating the capabilities of advanced driver-assistance systems such as Tesla s.
We re constantly hearing that it s definitely a work in progress, so it s just how do we make sure the public understands its limitations? Reema Griffith, executive director of the Washington State Transportation Commission, told The Wall Street Journal.