Vehicles to Recognize and Respond to Traffic Lights
E-mobility giant Tesla has recently announced a new software update through which properly equipped Tesla vehicle can now recognize and respond to traffic lights and stop signals. This software had been available to a silver of Tesla owners, some of whom had posted videos of the new features. Now, the company is pushing the software update to the broader fleet.
However, the feature is not available in every Tesla vehicle on road. The vehicle must be equipped with the most recent hardware 3 package and the fully optioned autopilot package that the company has marketed as full self-driving. The feature, called traffic light and Stop Sign control, is designed to allow the vehicles to recognize and respond to traffic lights and stop signs.
Limitations to the Feature
Since Tesla vehicles are not self-driving, this feature has limitations. The feature slows properly equipped Tesla vehicles to a stop when using ‘traffic-aware cruise control’ or ‘autosteer.’ The vehicle will slow for all detected traffic lights, including green, blinking yellow, and off lights. As the vehicle approaches an intersection, a notification will indicate an intention to slow down. The vehicle will then begin to slow down and stop at the red line shown on the driving visualization, which is on the center display.
Tesla Warns the Car Owners
Owners must pull the autopilot stalk once or manually press the accelerator pedal to continue through the stop line. Tesla said that the feature is designed to be conservative at first. Owners will notice that it will slow down often and will not attempt to turn through intersections. The company warns in the release notes that, “As with all the autopilot features, you must continue to pay attention and be ready to take immediate action, including braking because this feature will not stop for all traffic controls.”
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