Criticism of Autopilot
Federal Motor Transport Authority doubts Tesla’s safety concept – “The road is not an experimental field”
A man operates the autopilot in a Tesla Model S. The Federal Motor Transport Authority has doubts about the safety concept of the vehicles.
© Sven Hoppe / Picture Alliance
The Federal Motor Transport Authority has serious doubts about the safety concept of Tesla cars. It accuses the company around CEO Elon Musk of a lack of security and insufficient data protection. Authority President Richard Damm criticizes the US carmaker.
Tesla is repeatedly criticized for its autopilot. Because there have already been dozens of accidents – some even with a fatal outcome – with the driver assistance system switched on. Tesla is reluctant to respond.
The Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA) has been dealing with Tesla vehicles in Germany for some time. In the meantime, there are concerns on the part of the authorities in Flensburg. As the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” reports, it is now admonishing the US automaker to work better together and to adopt a risk-averse security concept.
Accordingly, Tesla would only activate certain functions if “vehicle drivers achieve a certain scoring, i.e. a certain number of points depending on their driving skills”. That was “not the right way,” Richard Damm, President of the Authority, told the newspaper.
“For us, the following applies: a vehicle or the automation system must be so safe and robust” that it can be operated by all drivers. “In this respect, I ask the question and you can imagine the answer: Do we want this approach in a safety-critical environment such as road traffic?”
Although the EU approval of Tesla cars takes place in the Netherlands, the responsibility changes with the updates that the carmaker installs on its vehicles. As with all manufacturers, the KBA would like to know exactly which updates have been carried out and what changes have been made as a result. However, Tesla is apparently keeping a low profile, as Damm points out: “If we do not receive any information, we cannot rule out that systems do not comply with the rules.”
The KBA does not want to prevent new technologies, but Damm makes it clear: “The road is not an experimental field, it’s about traffic safety and ultimately about human lives.” And he makes the decision: “We will and must take a very close look and check it out practically ourselves and not just rely on promises in documents.”
Tesla has also been criticized for its handling of personal driver data. According to previous information, the company uses large amounts of data that affect, among other things, the driving behavior of the driver. “We don’t know that from traditional manufacturers in this form.” It is important to check and regulate the handling and transfer of data from the point of view of data protection regulations. In fact, Tesla apparently transmitted data from speed offenders to the police in Berlin last year.
Clear criticism of Tesla also in the USA
Tesla’s autopilot is also the subject of official investigations in the USA. Since President Joe Biden took office, the company around CEO Elon Musk has been under even more supervision by the NHTSA. In the past few years, there have been a dozen accidents where Tesla’s driver assistance system was on. Parked rescue vehicles were involved with striking frequency, which the software is probably poorly recognizing.
The US traffic regulator NHTSA therefore initiated a deficiency investigation last August. Recently there was criticism from US senators who spoke of a safety risk with the Tesla driver assistance system. The main reason for this is a system error, according to which the vehicles apparently drive over intersections with stop signs without stopping.
Tesla, however, denies the allegations. The powerful Autopilot improves customers’ ability to drive more safely than the average US driver, the statement said. But MPs insist: “It’s about time Tesla got the message: obey the law and prioritize safety.”
Source: Print edition of the Süddeutsche Zeitung