Journalists of the publication Business Insider talked to drivers who are engaged in testing Tesla autopilot. The material is available on the media website.
The authors of Business Insider interviewed nine current and former drivers involved in testing Tesla Full Self-Driving (FSD) autopilot. The invited experts participated in ‘Project Rodeo.’ The drivers explained that the program was so named because they felt like cowboys riding a bull and their goal was to last as long as possible.
The experts admitted that Tesla required them to create risky situations on the road. This approach may speed up the process of improving the software, but jeopardises the safety of test drivers and people on public roads.
‘The whole eight-hour shift, you’re basically working on adrenaline,’ one driver stated. One of the testers admitted that he once almost hit a cyclist: ‘he was terrified. The car ripped into him and all I could do was hit the brakes.’
Several drivers said they nearly drove into a group of pedestrians several times. Among other things, Tesla wanted to see how close the electric car would be able to stop in front of people without hurting them.
According to Mark Rosekind, a former member of the US National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), car manufacturers are careful not to share details of autopilot testing.
‘If companies don’t report, it’s hard to understand what’s really going on there,’ the specialist noted.
At the end of October, Tesla Corporation promised to put a low-cost electric car on sale. The start of production of such cars is expected in early 2025.