Tesla has agreed to update the software on almost 54,000 of its vehicles after a recent “Full Self-Driving” software upgrade that enabled them to violate traffic laws and roll past stop signs without coming to a complete stop.
This is the latest indication that authorities are becoming more frustrated with Elon Musk’s company’s attempts to automate — but not completely automate, as the feature’s name implies — driving on public roads.
Tesla consented to the recall after meeting with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) officials twice.
Following conversations with NHTSA, Tesla told the agency that it will execute a recall of the ‘Rolling Stop’ feature, which is one of the Driving Profile’s features in its Full Self Driving software,” according to an NHTSA statement. A ‘Rolling Stop’ will be removed in a future software upgrade.
There is much indication that the company’s FSD beta, which is presently being tested on public roads by select customers, is not nearly ready for prime time.
Tesla has launched a “Assertive” mode for its FSD software, which, according to official documentation, “performs more frequent lane changes, does not leave passing lanes, and may conduct rolling stops.”
According to NHTSA records, the function permitted vehicles to pass stop signs at speeds of up to 5.6 mph if a variety of conditions were satisfied, including the absence of any “moving autos,” pedestrians, or bikes nearby.
Regulators, notably the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, are becoming more skeptical of Tesla and its “self-driving” technologies.
Reference- NHTSA statement to Press, Associated Press Feed, The Verge