Tesla’s Self-Driving technology has been all the rage as the company continues to advance its autonomous driving technology. Hands-free driving was once only found in “Back to the Future” and “The Jetsons,” but now it is a reality. However, it’s not a foolproof technology, so human intervention is still necessary.
Commuting without touching the steering wheel or pedals does seem interesting. A YouTuber decided to put Full Self-Driving (FSD) to the test in the busiest metropolitan area in the country.
FSD in NYC posted a video to his YouTube channel on April 30 to demonstrate the effectiveness of semi-autonomous driving. He took his Tesla through New York City’s midtown Manhattan, dodging traffic and pedestrians, showing how FSD works and how smart it is. The car maneuvered through cramped streets, avoiding parked vehicles, construction, and civilians. He even took the car into rush-hour traffic, where it avoided collisions.
The video shows how FSD works. A set of cameras function as the rearview and side view mirrors for the car, giving the driver a full view of his surroundings should he need to intervene. The 13-minute shows what the technology can do and what the content creator thinks still needs improvement.
There were times at red lights when the Tesla took longer than normal to speed up. It also went down a cramped street slowly — perhaps too slowly. FSD in NYC expressed his complaints about some of the aspects of the car throughout the video.
Tesla’s semi-autonomous driving is cool, but many motorist safety agencies and watchdog groups are doing everything to ban it.
Legally, a person must still sit in the driver’s seat and intervene if the Self-Driving system isn’t acting properly.
It’s not a foolproof system, and plenty of Tesla owners complain about times they’ve slammed into curbs and caused damage to rims or undercarriage. FSD noted that Teslas are pretty good at relinquishing control to the driver, but sometimes accidents aren’t avoidable.
This ride will surely stir the pot about the ethics of Self-Driving and autonomous vehicles. Critics have blasted them for being unsafe on major highways. Tesla drivers have been caught sleeping behind the wheel while in Autopilot mode, causing an uproar among motorists.
Photo Courtesy David von Diemar
There is also The Dawn Project, an anti-Tesla advocacy group that spent millions on two Super Bowl ads blasting the car company’s Self-Driving technology. The group has cited experiments with practice dummies where the cars could not stop before hitting them. Dan O’Dowd, the leader of the group, who tried to run for Senate based solely on banning Self-Driving, told CNN that a child was hit by a Tesla using the technology at a school bus crossing.
Other car media websites have pointed out problems with FSD, such as the car’s overreliance on GPS, an inability to learn on the move, lack of car-human interface, and failure to navigate parking lots. They have also said that the functionality seems to only work best in California and Texas, Tesla’s former and current headquarters.
Tesla has told owners that their vehicles are not fully autonomous and that they need to be aware of road conditions and hazards. The cars could be too high-tech since they offer Netflix and games on the infotainment system. The tech is still in beta testing, but it works well with actual humans rather than practice dummies. FSD in NYC’s video is a sign that autonomous driving is improving but still has a ways to go.
