Tesla Autopilot promises better safety
New system will rely on radar rather than just cameras. Upgrade available with two weeks
US electric carmaker Tesla Motors has upgraded its Autopilot function with new safety measures that restrict drivers from taking their hands off the steering wheel, after a number of crashes.
The new system, available for users to download within the next two weeks, will deactivate the Autopilot when drivers ignore audible warnings three times in an hour for having their hands off the wheel.
Once installed, drivers will need to pull over and restart the car to use Tesla’s Autosteer feature, which allows the car to steer itself as part of its Autopilot system, the company said.
While the cars are running at 8 miles (about 13 kilometres) per hour, drivers can keep their hands off the wheel, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told reporters on Sunday.
They can have their hands off the wheel for 5 minutes when the speed is about 45 miles per hour, but above that speed the limit is about 1 minute, unless the Tesla has a car to follow, Musk said.
The new system came amid a number of crashes including one case in China.
Luo Zhen, the driver who crashed his Tesla Model S into an illegally parked car in Beijing last