Tesla Autopilot mode upgrade provides another layer of safety; Hardware 2 effective in all crash modes

Tesla Motors’ Autopilot tech has been cleared in a probe that went on for six months and it has come as a huge relief for Tesla fans and the company too. The six-month federal investigation, carried out because of a fatal crash involving the semi-autonomous Autopilot system in a Tesla vehicle, has also provided insights into how the automaker designed and developed it. The investigation did not find any defect in the vehicle and refused to order a recall. It’s also a significant boost to makers of self-driving vehicles.

According to Fortune, Tesla’s Autopilot mode and any other automatic emergency braking system for that matter has its limitations. However, certain users of Tesla vehicles have gone beyond the EV’s intended capabilities. The investigation has highlighted one important aspect of automatic emergency braking. These systems mainly avoid rear end collisions and are not designed to perform in all crash modes. Tesla therefore has incorporated Hardware 2 in its new vehicles to resolve this weakness.

The new Tesla cars have sensors, radars and cameras that provide a 360-degree view of the world around the cars. Per the federal report, Tesla had anticipated misuse of its Autopilot mode and hence included a hands-on steering wheel system in order to monitor driver engagement. Now, the Elon Musk-led car company has implemented yet another layer of safety to the system and it’s a strike-out strategy. Tesla users, who ignore visual cues in the driver monitoring system alerts, will lose the Autopilot mode for the rest of the drive cycle.

As part of the six-month investigation, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) even found evidence supporting Musk’s claim that the Autopilot mode in fact prevents accidents and even save lives. Per Bloomberg, the owner of the Tesla Model S sedan who rammed into the side of a truck in May 2016 ignored the automaker’s warnings to maintain control even while using the driver-assist function.

Tesla vehicle crash rates have dropped by almost 40 percent after one of Autopilot system’s key component, Autosteer, was made available. Stay tuned on IBT AU for more updates on Tesla’s Autopilot mode.