NTSB Says Tesla's Use Of Term Full Self-Driving is 'Irresponsible,' should Address 'Basic Safety Issues' First: WSJ

According to the head of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), U.S., Tesla Inc's TSLA use of the term Full Self-Driving in its driver-assistance technology is "irresponsible," WSJ reports.  

The new chief of NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, said that Tesla needs to address some significant safety concerns and that the upcoming release is premature.

She also said that Tesla "has clearly misled numerous people to misuse and abuse technology." The NTSB can conduct investigations and make recommendations, but has no enforcement authority.

Homendy also said that those with regulatory and enforcement power, which the NTSB does not have, should aggressively regulate driver-assistance technology for consumer safety.

In May, the legal transparency group PlainSite said that Tesla's director of Autopilot software had told the California Department of Motor Vehicles that Musk overstated the capabilities of the company's advanced driver assist system, a precursor to FSD.

Tesla is currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) due to its Autopilot system having crashed into emergency vehicles at least 11 times. New documents from the NHTSA show it is looking for a lot of data.

Tesla was the only carmaker that did not officially respond to the NTSB recommendations. However, it did increase the frequency of alerts if a driver takes their hands off the steering wheel when using Autopilot.

Earlier, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the company aims to expand its FSD to all its customers by the end of September. 

Tesla will use personal driving data to determine whether owners who have paid for its FSD software can access the latest beta version.

Owners will be offered access to the beta software through a "beta request button." Drivers who select the beta software will be asked for permission to access their driving behavior using Tesla's insurance calculator, Musk indicated in a tweet.

"If driving behavior is good for seven days, beta access will be granted," Musk wrote.

Tesla vehicles come standard with a driver assistance system branded as Autopilot. For an additional $10,000, owners can buy the FSD.

In another tweet reply, Musk said, "FSD beta system at times can seem so good that vigilance isn't necessary, but it is. Also, any beta user who isn't super careful will get booted. Two thousand beta users have been operating for almost a year with no accidents. Needs to stay that way."

Photo: Courtesy of Tesla