Consumer Reports asked Tesla Motors on Thursday to disable Autosteer function in its Autopilot system after a number of crashes, of which one was fatal on May 7 in Florida, as well as to stop calling the system “Autopilot.”
The U.S. magazine believes it to be confusing for drivers and potentially dangerous since it “gives consumers a false sense of security," said Laura MacCleery, vice president of consumer policy and mobilization for Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports also called for Tesla to give a clearer guidance to the drivers on how the system should be used and explain the limitations. The electric car maker was also advised to test all safety-critical systems before full deployment, without releasing any more beta versions.
Following the Florida crash NHTSA and the National Transportation Safety Board launched investigations, while the Securities and Exchange Commission started looking into whether the company failed to inform investors about the accident on time.
Image: EPA / John G. Mabanglo
