The San Francisco County Transportation Authority (SFCTA)
also disputed the name of the system, "Full Self-Driving" (FSD)
saying it is an advanced driver assistance program, not an autonomous vehicle
system.
Tilly Chang, Executive Director of the SFCTA, said in a
statement to Reuters that a human driver should "continuously
monitor" Tesla's FSD system.
"We are concerned about the safety record of this
service and the name of the service as it could be confusing for consumers, and
hope DMV, FTC and NHTSA continue to monitor and analyse this issue to protect
consumers and the traveling public," she said.
The authority administers funding for transit and roadway
projects in San Francisco. A number of Tesla crashes, now under federal
investigation, have heightened regulatory scrutiny this year.
On Monday, California's state regulator said: "Based on
information Tesla has provided the DMV, the feature does not make the vehicle
an autonomous vehicle per California regulations."
The California Department of Motor Vehicles reiterated that
it was "reviewing the company's use of the term 'Full Self-Driving' for
its technology.”
Tesla was not immediately available for comment. Last week,
Chief Executive Elon Musk said Tesla drivers would be able to request a “beta”
version of its "Full Self-Driving (FSD)" software starting Friday.
Those rated "good drivers" by Tesla's insurance calculator would be
able to use the system.
Tesla sparked controversy by testing the unfinished
technology to 2,000 people since October on public roads.
Musk said there have been no accidents with the beta users.
"FSD beta system at times can seem so good that
vigilance isn't necessary, but it is. Also, any beta user who isn't super
careful will get booted," Musk tweeted.
The beta offers features allowing vehicles to navigate and
change lanes on city streets and enabling left and right turns.
Tesla has said the FSB beta "may do the wrong thing at the worst time, so you must always keep your hands on the wheel." © Reuters