Tesla CEO Elon Musk told X post on Thursday that owners can text and drive with the latest version of his company’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) driver assistance software, despite it being illegal to do so in most states.
Musk was responding to another user who had noticed that the latest software update, known as FSD, was not flashing a warning as he was using his phone while driving. The CEO of Tesla he wrote the update allows it “depending on the surrounding traffic environment”.
Musk did not elaborate, and Tesla does not have a public relations team that could provide more information. Musk did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Almost all 50 states have banned texting while driving, and about half have made it illegal to use a cell phone while driving. according to in the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics.
Despite Musk’s constant hype, FSD is still a driver assistance system that doesn’t make Tesla vehicles fully autonomous. And drivers, who are warned by Tesla to keep their hands on the wheel even when FSD is engaged, are responsible.
FSD uses a combination of a cabin camera and sensors on the steering wheel to monitor the driver’s attention. And because FSD is just driver assistance software and not full autonomy, drivers must be prepared to take control of the vehicle if the system encounters a situation it can’t handle. This surrender of control is often an important element of accidents involving the use of driver assistance systems.
Musk himself has said in the past That Autopilot, the driver assistance system that comes standard on all Teslas, has sometimes made drivers too complacent and confident. Regulators have found more than a dozen fatal crashes in which Autopilot was active.
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is currently investigating the FSD software after discovering more than 50 reports of it running red lights or crossing into the wrong lanes. NHTSA is also investigating the FSD for reported crashes in low visibility conditions. NHTSA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tesla is also nearing the end of a long legal battle with the California Department of Motor Vehicles over how the company marketed FSD and its less capable predecessor, Autopilot. During a series of hearings in July, the DMV accused Tesla of misleading customers for years their cars can drive themselves. The state agency asked a judge to suspend the company from selling and manufacturing its cars for at least 30 days. A decision on this case is expected by the end of this year.
