Here’s the thing: Tesla is peddling its “full self-driving” technology as a an add-on that, in theory, lets the car’s computers navigate local roads with steering, braking and acceleration.
Trouble is, “full self driving” is anything but. The feature does not allow a driver to check out and watch TikTok or take a nap on the way to work — far from it. In fact, it requires drivers to be on alert in case — and these are Tesla’s own words — the car does “the wrong thing at the worst time.”
(Matt went for a spin around Brooklyn using the feature late last year, and wrote about that chaotic mess here.)
Despite the tech’s obvious flaws, auto regulators, like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, have so far proven toothless against Tesla.
So where can we find a hero who’ll stand up to the world’s most valuable carmaker and its comic-book-villain-impersonating CEO?
Enter the California DMV, its long paper cape billowing…
