The official Tesla North America account on X promoted an interview with a new Cybertruck, who says his eye doctor recommended he buy aTesla with 'Full Self-Driving' because he's losing his eyesight. The problem is that Tesla itself classifies FSD as a Level 2 driver assistance system, which means it requires monitoring of the driver at all times — and the driver is responsible for the vehicle at all times.
What exactly did the interview that Tesla republished about FSD show?
Tesla North America reposted a video in which a Cybertruck buyer named Ricky explains that his deteriorating eyesight was what led him to Tesla.
Ricky says he went to his eye doctor to discuss his ability to continue driving. According to Ricky, the doctor, who owns two Teslas, told him he needed a car with 'Full Self-Driving' software the company's. The eye doctor then arranged a test drive for Ricky and reportedly met with him to explain the system.
See also: Tesla delays FSD approval in Europe again
During the test drive, Ricky says the car "drove itself" for an hour and a half on three different routes, while he "never touched the steering wheel." This experience convinced him to buy the Cybertruck.
"You buy a piece of software that costs you a certain amount of money — a lot of money — and it comes with a car," Ricky told the interviewer.
What's the problem with Tesla FSD?
Tesla North America's decision to republish this video, apparently for promotional purposes, is disturbing.
Tesla's support page for 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' clearly states that the system is an partially automated SAE Level 2. This classification means that the driver must remain fully attentive and involved in driving at all times. The driver is responsible for the vehicle, whether FSD is enabled or not. The system 'does not make the vehicle autonomous,' according to the company itself.
Level 2 means that the human is the driver. The software is an assistant. If the human cannot safely drive the vehicle, for example because he loses his eyesight (as in Ricky's case), then Tesla FSD does not solve this problem. Instead, it creates the illusion that the car is taking on driving tasks that legally and technically remain the responsibility of the human.
See also: NHTSA: Tesla is one step away from FSD recall
Raffi Krikorian, CTO of Mozilla and former head of self-driving at Uber, had an accident with his Tesla Model X while using FSD. The system's near-perfect performance lulled him into a false sense of security.
Research shows that drivers need 5 to 8 seconds to mentally re-engage after control is returned by an automated system, but emergency situations evolve faster than this time window.
If a former autonomous driving can't maintain proper supervision, what happens when someone with impaired vision gets behind the wheel?
Investigations by NHTSA
It's worth noting that this video comes at a time when NHTSA has stepped up its investigation into FSD, covering 3.2 million vehicles. The agency is already conducting a separate investigation into over 80 FSD-related traffic violations, and Tesla is having difficulty even handing over the requested crash data.
See also: Viral video: 'Full Self-Driving' Tesla drives through railroad barriers
One Cybertruck owner has already filed a lawsuit claiming that the FSD caused an accident.
What's happening is that Tesla is promoting FSD as if it's autonomous, telling customers they can relax, and then using the Level 2 designation as a legal shield when something goes wrong.
Source: Electrek
