Concerns Over Autonomous Cars

A recent demonstration of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving mode has sparked concerns about the readiness of fully autonomous cars for public roads. Tesla has reportedly delayed the launch of its fully autonomous, all-electric vehicle, the Cybercab. A demonstration in Austin, Texas, conducted by The Dawn Project, Tesla Takedown, and ResistAustin, showed a Tesla Model Y disregarding a school bus’s flashing lights and stop signs, and colliding with child-size mannequins. This incident occurred eight times during the test, raising questions about the safety of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software.

Safety Concerns and Warnings

Tesla’s autonomous driving feature, formally known as Full Self-Driving (Supervised), requires a fully attentive driver and displays a series of warnings to ensure driver response. The company warns that failure to follow these instructions could result in damage, serious injury, or death. However, this is not the first incident involving Tesla’s FSD software. The Dawn Project, founded by Dan O’Dowd, CEO of a company offering competing automated driving system software, has previously taken out ads highlighting the dangers of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving. In April 2024, a Model S using Full Self-Driving was involved in a fatal crash in Washington, resulting in the death of a motorcyclist.

Future Plans and Developments

As the anticipated rollout of the Cybercab approaches, scheduled for June 22, Tesla’s CEO, Elon Musk, has shared additional details about the company’s plans. Musk stated that Tesla is "being super paranoid about safety, so the date could shift." Furthermore, he announced that the first Tesla to drive itself from the factory to a customer’s house is expected to occur on June 28. These developments come as the company faces growing concerns about the safety and reliability of its autonomous driving technology.