Elon Musk says Tesla drivers can text while driving, but they absolutely should not

I can’t judge I person to accidental this, but Tesla drivers should not commencement texting portion driving, contempt what Elon Musk says. Do not perceive to the billionaire CEO of the institution that makes your car. He volition not beryllium liable if there’s a clang — you will.

Musk took a interruption from posting racist and xenophobic screeds yesterday to corroborate that the latest mentation of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving bundle would let for immoderate instances of texting portion driving, contempt it being incredibly unsafe and amerciable successful 49 states, Washington, DC, and the US territories. (Montana, wyd?) “Depending connected discourse of surrounding traffic, yes,” Musk replied to the question of whether FSD v14.2.1 would let the amerciable behavior.

But conscionable to repeat: bash not bash this. You volition not lone beryllium risking your life, but the lives of everyone astir you.

For months now, Musk has been promising an “unsupervised” mentation of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving bundle that helium claims volition alteration drivers to, among different things, usage their phones portion driving. The existent mentation of FSD is simply a Level 2 “supervised” system, meaning drivers are required to enactment focused connected the roadworthy and beryllium acceptable to instrumentality power of the conveyance erstwhile prompted. (In different words, not afloat self-driving.) For years, Musk has been hyping a infinitesimal erstwhile Tesla’s vehicles volition really thrust themselves — nary supervision required.

Last month, astatine Tesla’s yearly shareholder meeting, Musk said that an upcoming FSD update, Version 14, would yet let for unsupervised driving. “And present with mentation 14, we’re really getting to the constituent wherever we astir consciousness comfy allowing radical to substance and drive,” Musk said astatine the event. “Which is benignant of the slayer app, due to the fact that that’s truly what radical privation to do.”

Currently, Tesla vehicles person in-cabin cameras that way drivers’ oculus movement. If a driver’s attraction wanders portion utilizing FSD, the cameras volition announcement and the strategy volition alert them to enactment their eyes backmost connected the road. If they don’t, the strategy tin disengage. Five strikes tin effect successful a suspension of FSD. Tesla owners person agelong complained astir these “nags” and urged Musk to trim their frequency.

Musk’s remark yesterday suggests that he’s listening and that Tesla could unbend the requirements successful definite situations, similar stop-and-go traffic. But this doesn’t alteration the ineligible reality, successful which texting portion driving is strictly prohibited.

Imagine a bull pulls you implicit aft catching you texting portion driving your Tesla. Do you deliberation “Elon Musk said it was OK” is going to get you disconnected the hook? And God forbid there’s a crash, bash you deliberation Tesla volition instrumentality responsibility?

I get it — FSD tin beryllium precise capable. Many Tesla fans are amazed astatine what their car tin do, and afloat judge Musk erstwhile helium says that existent autonomy is conscionable astir the corner. But the information remains that the operator — and lone the operator — is liable for thing that happens portion Autopilot and FSD are successful operation. Unlike Waymo, Tesla won’t instrumentality work for immoderate incidents due to the fact that it knows its vehicles aren’t afloat autonomous. Why would it instrumentality work for a Level 2 system? When Tesla owners person tried to unit the institution to judge liability for definite incidents, it has fought backmost successful tribunal — and often won.

Don’t beryllium stupid. Don’t perceive to Elon Musk. Watch the road.