'I wasn’t driving. I had Autopilot on': Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system is getting drivers speeding tickets, and owners aren’t happy | Tech Radar
Overview
News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
Details
Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.
Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.
Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.
'I wasn’t driving. I had Autopilot on': Tesla’s Full Self-Driving system is getting drivers speeding tickets, and owners aren’t happy
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Getty Images / Media News Group / Orange County Register / Tesla)
A police officer pulled a Tesla over for traveling 64mph in a 45 mph zone
The owner attempted to plead innocence as Full Self-Driving was running
Video footage has surfaced online that shows a police department in Parker, Colorado, reportedly pulling over a Tesla for traveling 64mph in a 45mph zone.
While this isn’t unusual in itself, the plea from the Tesla’s driver is, as the excuse was that they weren't in control at the time. “I wasn’t driving. I had Autopilot on,” came the plea.
The three-minute video was released by the police, alongside a blunt reply (or perhaps a warning to other drivers?) that read: “Driver assistance technology does not replace the driver.”
“Whether your vehicle has adaptive cruise control, lane centering or full self-driving, you are still legally responsible for operating your vehicle safely,” the response added.
Despite the driver being clocked at 64mph in a 45mph zone, the Tesla owner belligerently claims they weren’t in control, it wasn’t their fault and that the self-driving system was activated.
Tesla relies on cameras for self-driving, and Waymo says that isn’t enough
Rivian's boss says Level 4 autonomous driving is 'closer than people think'
Tesla's Wade Mode lands owner in trouble as Cybertruck becomes lodged in a lake
The police officer then says: “I don’t know how these systems work, but you’re not the first person I have stopped with Autopilot activated.”
In fact, one of Electrek’s own writers documented the moment he got a speeding ticket while using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving.
Despite setting the system to Standard mode — as opposed to the faster Hurry or Mad Max settings — the vehicle still crept up to 78km/h in a 50km/h zone.
Tesla’s Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems are designed to assist the person behind the wheel, rather than completely replace them, no matter what Elon Musk espouses in his various public statements.
Currently, the law states that the buck stops with the driver, and any reckless driving, speeding or accident ultimately remains the driver’s fault, as they need to be ready to take control if and when these systems fail.
I tested five speed camera detectors for drivers — here's the one I'd buy
I replaced Ford's hands-free driving subscription with a $1,000 open-source gadget
AI traffic cameras that can catch you texting spark backlash in Mississippi
However, Tesla makes things difficult, as it has designed FSD to drift over the limit, even in Standard mode, and also took away the adjustable speed offset that once allowed owners to cap how far over the limit the vehicle would creep in autonomous modes.
Electrek reports that the adjustable speed offset was recently removed in FSD v 14 and replaced with fixed driving profiles.
It is easy to see why Tesla has trained its systems this way, as many drivers get frustrated when technology vehemently adheres to speed limits and subsequently fails to keep up with traffic.
But with many other semi-autonomous cruise-control technologies, the driver has complete control over the speeds at which they are happy to creep over the limit.
If Tesla’s driving assistance systems keep landing drivers in hot water, many will stop using them entirely, which is exactly the opposite of what the company wants.
After all, Elon Musk has long promised that drivers will soon be able to text and immerse themselves in all manner of side tasks in the very near future.
But right now, it feels like Tesla owners need to be more alert than ever.
Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.
Leon has been navigating a world where automotive and tech collide for almost 20 years, reporting on everything from in-car entertainment to robotised manufacturing plants. Currently, EVs are the focus of his attentions, but give it a few years and it will be electric vertical take-off and landing craft. Outside of work hours, he can be found tinkering with distinctly analogue motorcycles, because electric motors are no replacement for an old Honda inline four.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Our top-rated business PC is a multitasking powerhouse — save $530 on the Dell Tower Plus with Core Ultra 7
Hivemind AI software carries out first on-water 'swarming test' in Taiwan mission
We called the GMKtec K8 Plus an 'understated mini PC that delivers far more power than you'd expect for the price' — and now it's $130 off
The next age of LLMs? Dev gets a small LLM running at 10 tokens a second locally on a $10 microcontroller
The San Disk Extreme 1TB is one of our favorite portable rugged SSDs ever — fast, sleek, and now with a $60 discount
Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.
Key Takeaways
- News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets
- Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more
- Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards
- Unlock instant access to exclusive member features
- Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards
