Tesla Will Suspend Drivers For Autopilot Abuse In New Software Update

Leftist corporate media were filled with joy earlier this month when Tesla issued its largest recall in its twenty-year history regarding Autopilot systems that had “insufficient” safeguards against driver misuse. 

Unbeknownst to some legacy media in their reporting, Tesla has previously solved recalls with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration through an over-the-air software update. 

Tesla drivers on X reported in the last few days that an over-the-air software update titled “2023.44.30.5.1” was pushed to their vehicles. The update included new features for the Tesla Arcade, additional custom car locking sounds, automatic 911 calls during airbag deployment, and, near the end, a list of Autopilot improvements to satisfy federal regulators. 

Let’s begin with the “Over-the-Air (OTA) Recall” update that shows several improvements to Autopilot, including improved visibility for diver monitoring warning alerts on the touchscreen, increased strictness of driver attentiveness while using the automated driving system, and a suspension policy for Autopilot abusers.

Expanding on the Autopilot suspension update is a section that states repeated abusers will be given five strikes if the vehicle detects five forced Autopilot disengagements – which usually occurs when the vehicle senses the driver is not paying attention. On the fifth strike, Tesla said the automated service will be “unavailable for approximately one week.” 

Before the update, drivers who received several Autopilot disengagements were kicked off for the length of the car ride but only turned back on when the car was stopped and turned off.

Tesla appears to be getting tougher on Autopilot abusers as the Biden administration weaponized federal agencies against Tesla founder Elon Musk.