What is the legitimate use of Tesla's self-driving function? You're not legally allowed to drive without being in control of your vehicle. Tesla says you're supposed to remain aware and in control. You aren't allowed to sit there eating a sandwich, or take a nap, or deal with the baby in the back seat. Yes, people drive distracted all the time, but encouraging them to do so isn't a good idea, and doesn't make it legal or remove personal liability. Any argument that people do these things anyway (well, not nap normally) is going to be offset by the fact that autopilot encourages and increases these behaviors.<p>I love the idea of self-driving vehicles, and when it's good enough, I'd trust it more than I'd trust most drivers (but of course not more than I'd trust myself, hypocrite that I am). We're not there yet, though, so I again ask what the legitimate use of it is.
My Tesla asks me every single minute to shake the steering wheel while on Autopilot. Are you telling me the guy fell asleep between one of those? Maybe, anything is possible.<p>Also we go through this every single time. Journalists often insist that Autopilot is a misleading name, when it is a PERFECT name for the feature. It is exactly like Autopilot on an aircraft.<p>Autopilot on an aircraft doesn't absolve the pilots from being at the wheel (yoke), nor does it automatically take off or land a plane. It is literally "I'll follow this heading and altitude until you tell me otherwise, and will make glide path and heading corrections as needed", which is EXACTLY what Tesla's Autopilot feature does. There are other warning systems for air collisions, etc.<p>Tesla has a name for their autonomous driving – it's called Full Self Driving. And it isn't out yet, to anyone.<p>The media needs to do a better job of not misunderstanding this feature, and better educating the public instead of just writing sensationalist articles.
To a certain extent "Car hits traffic cones" isn't really a news story.<p>I know it's part of a broader conversation about Tesla's bad user experience, but still, traffic cones.