It is not clear how the Model S driver used the Aut Topilot in them. The incident happened before Tesla updated the system to give it the ability to detect speed limit signals using the vehicle’s camera. However, as Edge Note, Tesla has stated that the op topilot will only work when it detects that the driver has a hand on the steering wheel. If not, the car will try to grab the driver’s attention with visual and audio audio alerts before disabling the topilot.
But the fact that drivers can be detached from the aut topilot is something that the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in the US has repeatedly criticized Tesla for. In March, the agency published a report stating that the excess of a Model 3 driver on the system – in a condition that was not designed to control it – led to a fatal crash in Delray Beach, Florida in 2019.
In this latest incident, the RCMP issued a similar warning against excessive control over the aut topilot. “Although manufacturers of new vehicles have designed safety to prevent drivers from taking advantage of the new safety system in vehicles, those systems are just that – complementary safety systems,” said Gary Graham, superintendent of Alberta RCMP Traffic Services. “They’re not self-driving systems, they still come with the responsibility of driving.”
