The latest update to Tesla’s autopilot feature was put in place following the death of Joshua Brown earlier this year. Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, has stated himself that has this update been in place then, the fatality would not have occurred. Some are saying the system is a little harsh with its warnings, but hey, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?
The upgrade is Version 8.0 and was specifically designed to improve the relationship between driver and system and essentially keep them safe. One of the features that’s been added is a new ‘lockout feature.’ This is basically a safety feature that kicks in if you continuously ignore the Autopilot warnings. If it has to repeat itself and you remove your hands from the steering wheel again, the Autosteer function will be disabled until the car is parked up. Once the Autosteer function has been disabled a big red warning will appear on the dash that shows two red hands on a steering wheel.
Rather than just relying on cameras, the new update is primarily based on the vehicle’s radar system instead and can view and monitor up to three car lengths in front. So, although Tesla only has the safety of their customers in mind when they issue systems that give harsh warnings, I guess some feel they now have lost some of the functionality of the Autopilot feature. But, you can never please everyone, and safety will also win over coolness.
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