Tesla Full Self-Driving Update Allows for Texting and Driving
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, recently announced a significant update to the Full Self-Driving (FSD) suite, version 14.2.1, which now includes texting and driving capabilities. Despite this new feature, it is essential to remember that Tesla’s FSD is currently a Level 2 autonomous driving system, meaning that the driver must remain attentive and in control of the vehicle at all times.
While the cabin-facing camera in Tesla vehicles monitors driver attention and will disable FSD and Autopilot after repeated warnings, Musk hinted at allowing texting and driving in the near future. He stated at the Annual Shareholder Meeting that they would evaluate safety statistics but intended to enable texting while driving within a month or two.
Recently, Musk confirmed on Twitter that the current FSD version, 14.2.1, does allow for texting and driving based on the context of surrounding traffic. This development raises questions about the legality of such a feature, especially since laws in all 50 U.S. states prohibit texting while driving, with some states even banning handheld phone use while the vehicle is in motion.
While this update represents a step towards unsupervised autonomous driving, it is important to note that Musk’s statement implies that texting while driving will only be permitted under specific traffic conditions. The exact circumstances under which FSD will allow drivers to text remain unclear.