Norwegian FEMA member organization NMCU sent a letter of concern to the Norwegian transport minister Ketil Solvik-Olsen.

The letter, signed by the new NMCU policy officer Geir Strand, warned car manufacturers and politicians not to ‘over-sell’ present technology, duping car owners to believe that a driver assistance system is an ‘autopilot’ that allows you to cross your arms and no longer be the driver of your car.

The letter to the Norwegian transport minister reads:

Dear Minister,

NMCU are closely monitoring the debate about autonomous vehicles and has noted the minister’s enthusiasm for self-driving cars, as it for example appeared in an article in the newspaper ‘Dagens Næringsliv’ on the 15th September.
 
NMCU would like to draw your attention to an accident on the E18, near Drammen, on the 27th July this year, in which the motorcycle of a young, female rider was rammed from behind by a Tesla, with the ‘autopilot’ activated.

It is worrying if Tesla’s ‘autopilot’ is not able to detect a motorcycle, but it is even more worrying if the driver has been duped into believing that a driver assistance system is an ‘autopilot’ that allows you to cross your arms and no longer be the driver of your car.

In May this year, a Tesla-driver was killed in an accident in Florida, USA. Also in this accident, the ‘autopilot’ was on. In a comment, the founder of Tesla, Elon Musk, said that the accident had not happened if the car had been equipped with the updated version of the Tesla ‘autopilot’, being installed in all Tesla cars this autumn. In other words, Mr. Musk clearly admits that the previous version of the system was a beta-version, not been tested adequately before being made available to consumers.

NMCU is certainly not against a future of autonomous vehicles, but we are a bit concerned that manufacturers and politicians are ‘over-selling’ present technology. NMCU sees many ethical, legal and traffic safety qualms when a driver assist system is marketed as an ‘autopilot’, actually making the car self-driving. No car on the market is self-driving, and probably will not be for many years. It is therefore a bit worrying if key people creates an impression that cars already have a functional ‘autopilot’ and are self-driving.

NMCU insists that any system being basis for the term ‘self-driving’ must be thoroughly tested with motorcyclists, cyclists and pedestrians before being put on the market.