Discuss: Tesla's 'Mad Max' FSD Mode Hits Snag as NHTSA Begins Investigation

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Procal

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Jun 12, 2024
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Can’t say I didn’t expect this. To be honest, I don’t think this was a surprise to anyone, especially Tesla. Now let’s see how it plays out, and whether or not we will all be forced to use sloth mode in the near future.
 
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PrescottAZRichard

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Oct 28, 2022
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Yup. Normally I'd say Tesla gets into trouble for naming something again (like naming something Full Self Driving which isn't yet) but this one goes a little deeper. Still, in this case the name isn't helping but the real problem is doing 20+ MPH over a posted limit. If your argument is 'everyone else is doing it' then I'd say the solution isn't to add to the dumb behavior already around us. This is a problem bigger than just Tesla. Since we drive in the real world SFSD will have to figure out how to exist in the real world without adding to the problem of bad driving behavior. Not just SFSD but ALL the ADAS systems.
That said- the smooth is fast approach mad max brings is welcome, but I do worry that it's so much quicker to see openings and react that human drivers could actually be caught off guard and cause potential issues.
The absolute worst case resolution to all the NHTSA scrutiny would be - hey, ADAS systems are NOT ALLOWED to exceed posted speed limits. Just like we're not allowed to 'roll' stop signs. I'll point out that all drivers are not allowed to do either of these according to the law already, but reality is we're not perfect and some allowance has to exist. IMO going 85 in a 65 is not balance :) .
Fun times!
 
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Procal

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Jun 12, 2024
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PrescottAZRichard said:
Yup. Normally I'd say Tesla gets into trouble for naming something again (like naming something Full Self Driving which isn't yet) but this one goes a little deeper. Still, in this case the name isn't helping but the real problem is doing 20+ MPH over a posted limit. If your argument is 'everyone else is doing it' then I'd say the solution isn't to add to the dumb behavior already around us. This is a problem bigger than just Tesla. Since we drive in the real world SFSD will have to figure out how to exist in the real world without adding to the problem of bad driving behavior. Not just SFSD but ALL the ADAS systems.
That said- the smooth is fast approach mad max brings is welcome, but I do worry that it's so much quicker to see openings and react that human drivers could actually be caught off guard and cause potential issues.
The absolute worst case resolution to all the NHTSA scrutiny would be - hey, ADAS systems are NOT ALLOWED to exceed posted speed limits. Just like we're not allowed to 'roll' stop signs. I'll point out that all drivers are not allowed to do either of these according to the law already, but reality is we're not perfect and some allowance has to exist. IMO going 85 in a 65 is not balance :) .
Fun times!
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Exactly. The issue is the speeding, and not the lane switching or other behaviors (at least in my opinion). After using the different speed profiles throughout the day, I can't see where Mad Max would be useful outside extremely heavy traffic where you are speed limited by the traffic itself. And even then, I personally feel it is just better to stay in your lane, unless you really stop moving for a while. Like you said, though, it does bring into question why any autonomous vehicle should be allowed to or not allowed to speed. In a world where unsupervised FSD is the goal, I would prefer that the car not speed any more than 5 MPH over the limit at the most, and only when absolutely necessary. But for now, where we are still supervising FSD, I think it's the right move to allow the user to choose how the car drives. As long as the driver is aware that they are responsible for how the car is driving.
 
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