Tesla is undoubtedly one of the most advanced companies in the world in the field of autonomous driving. If the engineers and developers today offer a solution considered reliable and sometimes more responsive than manual driving, Tesla’s FSD also has some hiccups, to the point of attracting the attention of the federal safety regulator in the United States.
FSD causes four accidents in low light environments
The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) 24 hours ago launched a new investigation into Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) software following four accidents in low visibility conditions. One of these accidents resulted in the death of a pedestrian who was crossing the road in a pedestrian crossing, hit by a Tesla in FSD which did not see him and was traveling at high speed.
Full Self-Driving is an advanced autonomous driving technology developed by Tesla. It uses an array of cameras, radars, ultrasonic sensors and a powerful artificial intelligence-based processing system to analyze the vehicle’s environment in real time. FSD is designed to allow the car to move without human intervention, by interpreting road conditions, traffic signs and reacting to other road users. However, despite these advanced capabilities, FSD remains in beta, meaning drivers must remain attentive and ready to regain control at a moment’s notice.
An investigation that could force Tesla to adjust its FSD
The investigation aims to assess whether Tesla’s FSD system is capable of “rapidly detecting and reacting” in situations of reduced visibility, such as sun glare, fog… Whether the system is almost faultless under normal conditions, it would appear to have gaps as the environment becomes more complex.
In the event of adverse findings from the NHTSA, the FSD program (currently in beta phase in the United States) could be temporarily suspended until Tesla makes necessary changes or new restrictions. For example, we could imagine that Tesla does not authorize the use of FSD during showers, when there is fog or on very sunny afternoons.
This investigation comes shortly after Elon Musk’s presentation of the “Cybercab” prototype, intended to serve as a fully autonomous robotaxi with Full Self-Driving. The Cybercab, which relies entirely on FSD software to navigate without human intervention, is supposed to represent the future of autonomous mobility according to Elon Musk. However, recent incidents show that there is still much to be done to ensure optimal safety for pedestrians, other vehicles around and passengers.
