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Consumer Reports Calls For Tesla To Disable Autopilot (consumerreports.org)

Posted by msmash on from the big-dilemma dept.

Reader parallel_prankster writes: Consumer Reports is calling on Tesla to disable its "Autopilot" feature that enables hands-free operation. Citing the recent fatal accident involving a car with Autopilot engaged, Consumer Reports labels the feature as "Too Much Autonomy Too Soon." In an extensive article posted at the top of its website Thursday morning, Consumer Reports said Tesla should "disable hands-free operation until its system can be made safer." "By marketing their feature as 'Autopilot,' Tesla gives consumers a false sense of security," said Laura MacCleery, vice president of consumer policy and mobilization for Consumer Reports, in the article. "In the long run, advanced active safety technologies in vehicles could make our roads safer. But today, we're deeply concerned that consumers are being sold a pile of promises about unproven technology. 'Autopilot' can't actually drive the car, yet it allows consumers to have their hands off the steering wheel for minutes at a time. Tesla should disable automatic steering in its cars until it updates the program to verify that the driver's hands are on the wheel."

Tesla says it will continue development of Autopilot, insisting that drivers supported by Autopilot "remain safer than those operating without assistance."

19 of 330 comments (clear)

  1. So just rename it then? by butchersong · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I suppose Consumer Reports would be just as happy based on their rationale if Tesla were to rename it to "Intelligent Cruise" or something like that.

    1. Re:So just rename it then? by Actually,+I+do+RTFA · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Names matter. Expectations matter. Pragmatically and legally.

      I mean, "what a reasonable person would expect" is a common standard, for things like "was this shooting in self defense".

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    2. Re:So just rename it then? by tsqr · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So do you expect "Automatic Pilot" on Airplanes to mean land/take off, deal with adverse weather, etc ?

      I have no expectations at all regarding the meaning of "Automatic Pilot" on airplanes, because I don't operate airplanes. Why would you expect the average person to know what an aircraft autopilot does or does not do?

    3. Re:So just rename it then? by vux984 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If you don't have your hands on the wheel, it will pop up a notice telling you to put your hands on the wheel. If you still don't, it will beep an alert at you. If you still don't, it will gradually slow the car to a stop (it assumes that you are disabled at that point).

      And yet all the reviewers and so forth talk about their handsfree driving experience with it.

      And Musk has himself said the car will drive from San Fransico to Seattle; almost without touching the controls at all.

      You can't have that out there and then expect a reasonable person to think he REALLY has to have his hands on the wheel the whole time, just because the car beeps at him.

      Additionally, its unreasonable to put a human being in a situation where they are expected to sit there doing nothing except being perpetually ready to act in case of an exceptional circumstances. Human beings aren't wired for that.

      If we're driving and actively engaged, we can keep our attention on the task for long periods of time without much trouble. But we're supposed to just sit there "at the ready" that's a failure waiting to happen, because people don't work like that.

      It would be like being told to sit in front of the oven and watch the thanksgiving turkey roast with our hand on the off switch the entire time, ready in case the bird catches fire or something.

      We'll check it from time to time, we'll set a timer to help us remember to do that. If we smell smoke or something we'll react ... but no human being can sit there doing nothing, with the expectation of doing nothing, but ready to do something for hours on end. Our attention WILL drift. You can't slap a warning sticker on something and expect it to override human nature.

      The feature is fundamentally incompatible with human beings. When its ready to be responsible enough for driving that it can deal with anything that comes up, and if something comes up that it can't do it can pull over and then alert a passenger to take over as driver... then it's ready for people. Until then its just an accident waiting to happen.

    4. Re: So just rename it then? by kellymcdonald78 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Tesla explains the limitations of the system when you buy the car, the car explains it to you again when you activate the feature (requiring you to accept that you understand), tells you again when you turn it on to drive somewhere, and reminds you yet again if you take your hands off the wheel. If some moron can't understand that, what would is a 100 hours of training going to accomplish. Maybe they should put shockers in the seat for additional reinforcement

  2. Elon Musk may meet his Waterloo here by HBI · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Ignoring litigation exposure is a really bad idea. I doubt Tesla is adequately capitalized to handle the flood of lawsuits that every little incident involving "Autopilot" is going to result in. Consumer Reports is right in this case...they should disable it, settle the claims and be happy it isn't worse.

    --
    HBI's Law: Frequency of calling others Nazis is directly correlated with the likelihood of the accuser being Communist.
    1. Re: Elon Musk may meet his Waterloo here by NatasRevol · · Score: 3, Insightful

      LOL, the guy running the most innovative car company in the world today AND the most innovative rocket company today is an idiot.

      So says the anonymous coward.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  3. How many accidents has it avoided? by gfxguy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Airbags and seat belts kill, too - but they save way more lives than they take, so they are standard mandatory equipment. I certainly think we need more time to evaluate, but I'd be willing to bet that autopilot has avoided accidents that dumb asses would have otherwise caused.

    --
    Stupid sexy Flanders.
    1. Re:How many accidents has it avoided? by Oligonicella · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Apples and oranges. Airbags and seat belts are designed to be of use during an already underway accident. Autopilot caused the accident.

    2. Re:How many accidents has it avoided? by wagnerrp · · Score: 5, Insightful

      No. Autopilot was active during an accident. The truck caused the accident by turning left in front of oncoming traffic. The car had the right of way, and the truck was supposed to wait for the car to clear before continuing. Autopilot failed to prevent the accident, in the same way automatic emergency braking systems offered by other brands may similarly fail to detect an unexpected obstacle and stop.

  4. Its not Hands Free though... by Pubstar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Everything I've read about the auto pilot feature states that you need to have your hands on the wheel at all times. There is even a fucking nag prompt for you to hold the steering wheel.

    1. Re:Its not Hands Free though... by mspohr · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Autopilot in an airplane maintains direction and speed. Tesla autopilot does the same.
      Autopilot in airplane doesn't swerve to avoid crashes. But Tesla does swerve/brake in some situations.
      Autopilot in airplane requires the real pilot to pay attention and be ready to take over at any time. Tesla pops up a notice every time you turn it on which says "KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND BE READY TO TAKE OVER AT ANY TIME".
      The name is perfect.
      Unfortunately, we still have some of the same stupid people who can't read and don't follow directions.

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    2. Re:Its not Hands Free though... by F.Ultra · · Score: 3, Insightful

      It could have been named "two sticks up your ass" and the three accidents that have happened so far would probably still have happened. The problem is not in the name.

  5. fucking great by indy_Muad'Dib · · Score: 4, Insightful

    im going to lose the best feature of my model S because some asshole decided to watch a movie instead of the road while in his car.

    1. Re:fucking great by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      A man died because Tesla marketed the system as more than what the specs said it could do.

      That is a lie. Tesla marketed it as handling the activity of driving for an alert driver who may well have to step in and start driving again

      He's dead because of the Elon Musk hype train because the way Musk talked about the feature, he felt comfortable doing this.

      His feelings may or may not be legally actionable. That he didn't follow directions, however, is extremely relevant. Tesla won't even turn on the feature without giving the driver a lecture, so he has no excuse for not understanding his responsibilities as a driver.

      --
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  6. What happened to personal resonsibility? by l2718 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    As far as I know the documentation and the system in operation both clearly indicate to the user that they must be alert and in control of the vehicle at all times. If the users fails to do that the fault is entirely their own.

  7. Re:Auto pilot is not... by OverlordQ · · Score: 1, Insightful

    People on slashdot love to rip on companies who advertise Unlimited but still have caps. "Unlimited should mean Unlimited!" But give Tesla a pass when they bill something that's not Autopilot as Autopilot.

    The Musk Distortion Field is strong.

    --
    Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
  8. Re:Too cautious by jratcliffe · · Score: 4, Insightful

    it is already evident that the rate of fatalities using this mode is already a 35% improvement over non-autopilot users. (1 fatality in 130 million miles driven vs. 1 in 96 million)

    Is this an apples-to-apples comparison? I would imagine that autopilot is much more heavily used on highways than on surface streets. So, if the fatality rate on highways per mile is lower than for surface streets, it wouldn't be an entirely fair comparison.

    I genuinely don't know the answer to this, couldn't find any data close at hand...

  9. Re:Auto pilot is not... by twotacocombo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    People on slashdot love to rip on companies who advertise Unlimited but still have caps. "Unlimited should mean Unlimited!" But give Tesla a pass when they bill something that's not Autopilot as Autopilot.

    Oh, but it is autopilot. Name a vehicular autopilot system that is designed to allow the operator to engage and then ignore it completely for the duration of the trip, without risk of disaster. Commercial aviation relies heavily on autopilot, but they still employ 2 pilots per flight. Why? Because if there's only one pilot, and he's incapacitated, autopilot simply does not have the same capabilities to get the aircraft home safely. Don't you think they would have axed the expensive pilot positions years ago if the technology existed to allow it? So yes, it is autopilot, but no it's not meant to replace a human.