Jennifer Homendy, the chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, believes Tesla should prioritize safety before feature expansion.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta does not produce an autonomous vehicle, and the company has been chastised for maybe exaggerating its capabilities. National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy told the Wall Street Journal that the electric automaker is "irresponsible" for even labeling the technology "full self-driving." According to the SAE Scale of Autonomy, FSD is a Level 2 driver-assist system. There are no self-driving vehicles available for purchase.
She told the Wall Street Journal that Tesla "obviously persuaded multiple individuals to misuse and exploit technology." The NTSB did not respond to a request for comment on Homendy's remarks right away. Tesla does not have a public relations staff to handle comment inquiries. After a number of reported collisions involving emergency vehicles, the carmaker is presently under federal investigation for another driver-assist technology, Autopilot. The harsh reality is that many drivers exploit these technologies well beyond their capabilities. We've also seen evidence that certain technologies, such as FSD, aren't quite ready for prime time yet.
None of this is meant to diminish Tesla's tremendous development in driver-assist systems and technology over the last few years. Although automobiles are extremely intelligent, authorities continue to point out places where safety is lacking. Tesla, according to Comedy, has to address "fundamental safety concerns" before increasing FSD and Autopilot functions.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) can investigate incidents and frequently arrives on the scene of high-profile collisions and fires involving Teslas, but it can only make regulatory recommendations. Any new laws governing FSD and other driver-assist technologies will be enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.