Tesla's 'Full Self-Driving' Feature Criticised After Incident of Running over a Deer
A deer running under a Tesla is said to have been left crushed beneath the vehicle since it ran over it without braking or slowing down and is apparently equipped with 'Full Self-Driving'. Such instances raise more than a few concerns about safety and reliability in Tesla's autonomous driving technology.
The car, it is reported, was running in FSD mode; the car was built to traverse all manner of driving situations. Eyewitness accounts depict the moment at which the deer did not evoke any response from the car, hence the accident that could have been easily avoided by the prompt action.
The main critique from critics against Tesla's FSD is that it has no capability to handle actual unexpected scenarios on the road, such as animals crossing. It only goes to prove the argument that has been on about whether current autonomous driving technologies are yet ready for actual deployment. Even though Tesla markets FSD as an advanced driving assistant, many argue that it still needs major improvements in order to be considered safe and deployable in its present state.
The accident is likely to further increase regulatory scrutiny of Tesla's FSD feature. As safety experts continue to assert that oversight and testing into the efficacy of these systems to adapt to diverse and unpredictable conditions, including hitting animals crossing the road, increase.
Tesla has been mum on this so far, though it does say quite a lot about challenges at its hands as they spearhead the autonomous world through boundary-pushing automotive self-driving technology. If one develops and refines FSD within his or her company while cases such as this can weigh significantly on public acceptance or legislative policies toward automated autos, then that speaks volume unto itself.
This incident once again reminds the world of what is the best and most thorough testing that needs to be done, along with communication on the limitations of this self-driving technology. The road to fully autonomous driving: Next-generation safety.
