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Sunday May 19, 2024

Elon Musk's Tesla slammed for dangerous self-driving software after accidents

Elon Musk's Tesla self driving tests have resulted in road accidents striking schoolchild, bus

By Web Desk
February 12, 2024
Elon Musk in a Tesla car. — AFP/File
Elon Musk in a Tesla car. — AFP/File

A road safety organisation has called for a public boycott of Tesla's electric cars with two new Super Bowl commercials, claiming the company is using “dangerous” technology.

The Dawn Project claims to have brought attention to the risks associated with Tesla's self-driving software with the release of their new "Boycott Tesla Now" adverts, which were shown before last night's Super Bowl LVIII.

After several accidents, the foundation—which was founded by tech billionaire Dan O'Dowd—has repeatedly urged Tesla to fix problems with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.

The recently released advertisements showcase footage of a Tesla being used on the road, demonstrating its self-driving features and possible problems.

In one footage, a news reporter follows a Tesla that struck a schoolchild during road testing, while in another, a school bus in North Carolina is sped by in March 2023, according to Britain's News Channel.

It comes after a similar Super Bowl advertisement from the previous year, in which the Tesla FSD is seen crashing into oncoming traffic, running down a mannequin in the road, and disobeying traffic warning signals.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the US has been urged by The Dawn Project to outlaw Tesla's fully autonomous driving technology.

Dan O’Down, founder of the project, claimed: “This weekend The Dawn Project is calling for a boycott of Tesla because Tesla has failed time and time again to address the failings in its defective self-driving software."

“This has resulted in multiple, fatal, collisions which could, and should, have been avoided," he added.