Elon Musk’s use of Twitter has caught the eye of yet another regulator in the US
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is examining a tweet from Elon Musk regarding an update to Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software, a spokesperson told Insider.
In December, Tesla fan @WholeMarsBlog tweeted: “Users with more than 10,000 miles on FSD Beta should be given the option to turn off the steering wheel nag.”
“Agreed, update coming in Jan,” Musk replied to the tweet.
Associated Press was the first to report that the NHTSA reached out to Tesla for more information about the CEO’s tweet. The federal regulator said the tweet is part of a larger investigation into at least 14 Teslas that have crashed into emergency vehicles while Autopilot was in use, per AP.
A spokesperson for Tesla did not respond to a request for comment from Insider ahead of publication. A spokesperson for NHTSA said the investigation is ongoing and the agency does not comment on open investigations.
Tesla’s FSD and Autopilot have a feature that reminds the driver to apply pressure to the steering wheel and can disengage the software if it deems a driver has had their hands off the steering wheel for too long. Some of the cars also have in-cabin cameras that will remind drivers to look at the road or pull over if it appears the driver is not paying attention.
It’s unclear if the carmaker plans to disable either feature for power users, but if it chose to, Tesla could disable or modify the feature using its over-the-air software updates. The company is expected to release its latest FSD update later this month.
FSD is an add-on to Tesla’s Autopilot driver assist program. It can be purchased for a flat $15,000 fee or a $199 monthly subscription. The software enables Teslas to automatically change lanes, enter and exit highways, recognize stop signs and traffic lights, and park. FSD is still in beta testing and requires a licensed driver to monitor it at all times.
Tesla’s FSD software has faced criticism in the past. Over the years, beta testers have taken to YouTube to post examples of bugs in the software from phantom braking and attempts to turn into the wrong lane to incidents when the software appeared to fail to recognize pedestrians on the road.
Last year, the California Department of Motor Vehicles accused Tesla of deceptive marketing practices in the advertising of Autopilot and FSD. In 2021, a man was arrested after he was pulled over for riding in the back seat of his Tesla while using Full Self-Driving.
(Insider)