Fisher points out that the safety score criteria do not include a metric related to acceleration, an attribute that the high-performance Teslas are known for. Fisher also points out that data on braking and other factors can easily be misinterpreted, such as when a driver brakes moderately hard to avoid a driver running a stop sign. It might signal a driver as unsafe when they’re actually making a good decision that prevents a collision. “I’d hate for a Tesla driver to be encouraged to accelerate to try to make a green light in an effort to avoid rapid deceleration that could cost them the chance at being approved for the update,” Fisher says. “Rather than focus on driving habits, Tesla should focus on the driver’s attention to the road.”
Fisher points out that many Tesla models already have driver-facing cameras that, with the right software, could determine factors such as mobile device usage and whether the driver is looking at the road when FSD or Autopilot is engaged. It also could give warnings in the same way that General Motors’ Super Cruise system monitors drivers when it is engaged. Super Cruise can automate driving tasks, such as steering, braking, and acceleration on certain pre-mapped highways, and allows drivers to take their hands off the wheel for extended periods of time.
Super Cruise monitors driver attention by using a camera aimed at the driver that makes sure they’re paying attention to the road when the system is switched on. If a driver’s attention wanes, steering wheel lights flash and the car will eventually shut down if a driver does not respond.
Autopilot uses a steering wheel touch system to determine whether a driver has their hands on the wheel, which does not necessarily mean they’re paying attention to the task of driving.