Tesla’s New Software Enables Texting While Driving, Musk Says
▼ Summary
– Elon Musk stated that Tesla’s latest FSD software update allows drivers to text while driving based on traffic context, despite it being illegal in most states.
– Tesla’s Full Self-Driving is a driver-assistance system, not full autonomy, requiring drivers to remain attentive and ready to take control.
– The system monitors driver attentiveness using an in-cabin camera and steering wheel sensors, with hands-free operation permitted if the driver is paying attention.
– The NHTSA is investigating FSD for over 50 reports of traffic violations and crashes, and Tesla faces a legal battle in California over its marketing of the system.
– Regulators have linked Tesla’s Autopilot to more than a dozen fatal crashes, with Musk having previously acknowledged the system can make drivers overconfident.
Tesla’s latest Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software update has introduced a controversial feature, according to CEO Elon Musk. In a social media post, Musk stated that the system now permits drivers to use their phones for texting while the vehicle is in motion, a direct contradiction of traffic laws in the vast majority of U.S. states. This functionality, Musk clarified, is enabled “depending on context of surrounding traffic,” though he provided no further technical details. The company does not maintain a public relations department to elaborate, and requests for comment were not returned.
The legality of this feature is immediately questionable. Federal data shows that texting while driving is banned in nearly every state, with about half also prohibiting any handheld phone use during operation. Musk’s announcement highlights a persistent tension between Tesla’s marketing of its driver-assistance systems and their operational reality. Despite the “Full Self-Driving” name, the technology remains a Level 2 driver-assistance system, not an autonomous driving solution. Drivers are legally responsible and must remain prepared to intervene at any moment.
The system’s approach to monitoring driver attention has evolved. Initially, FSD required drivers to keep their hands on the steering wheel. That requirement was later replaced by reliance on an in-cabin camera to ensure the driver’s eyes remain on the road. This shift to a hands-off, camera-monitored system is central to the new texting allowance. However, the handover of control from the software back to the driver remains a critical and often problematic phase, frequently cited in investigations of crashes involving such systems.
Musk has previously acknowledged that systems like the standard Autopilot can foster dangerous overconfidence in drivers. Regulatory reviews have linked Autopilot to multiple fatal incidents. Currently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is conducting an investigation into FSD following dozens of reports concerning the software running red lights or veering into incorrect lanes. A separate probe is examining crashes that occurred in poor visibility conditions.
Concurrently, Tesla is embroiled in a significant legal dispute with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The state agency alleges the company has misled consumers for years regarding the autonomous capabilities of both Autopilot and FSD. In hearings this past summer, the DMV requested a judicial order to suspend Tesla’s license to sell and manufacture vehicles in California for a minimum of thirty days. A ruling in that case is anticipated before the year ends.
(Source: TechCrunch)
