Tesla’s “Mad Max” mode under federal scrutiny

[moritzes]

"[D]espite having just lost a federal wrongful death lawsuit that will cost it hundreds of millions of dollars, it described the new mode as being able to drive “through traffic at an incredible pace, all while still being super smooth. It drives your car like a sports car. If you are running late, this is the mode for you.”
arstechnica article

I mean, the legal complaint just writes itself.

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[Fenixgoon]

I don't know how it ever passed the legal team. Legit lawsuits waiting to happen (ignoring any government scrutiny). Insurance companies aren't going to want to pay out when a Mad Max Tesla crashes into something.

 

[User100723]

"[D]espite having just lost a federal wrongful death lawsuit that will cost it hundreds of millions of dollars, it described the new mode as being able to drive “through traffic at an incredible pace, all while still being super smooth. It drives your car like a sports car. If you are running late, this is the mode for you.”
arstechnica article

I mean, the legal complaint just writes itself.

So when it gets into a crash, the occupant is responsible, right? And if someone’s challenging it for a drag race or purposefully cutting off on the freeways, will it respond in kind?

Unbelievable. Would be hilarious tho if cop pull one of these over, only to find Optimus strapped in.

 

[ChrisO]

You know when "autopilot" kept messing up on a curve where the lines weren't painted, on Musk's drive to work, he berated the engineers that told him they needed better sensors, he told them if a human can do it then "autopilot should be able to do it".

The reason I bring this up is because I can just hear the talk about the justification of having such a mode as mad max. "Humans speed and cut people off all the time, there should be no problem if FSD does it."

BTW the way that original problem got solved is the engineering manager contacted the state and got them to paint the lane markers, and not surprising the "problem when away".

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

So when it gets into a crash, the occupant is responsible, right?

Probably. But that’s not the legal issue. You know who isn’t responsible? The innocent bystander that the mad max car crashes into. They’re the one Tesla needs to worry about because they will be suing both the driver and the manufacturer for damages, and they’ll quite probably prevail against both. At that point Tesla will be paying the whole bill and trying to recover the drivers proportionate share of damages.

This is why I looked for a satire tag or an April 1 date.

Tesla just added the Full Employment for Personal Injury Attorneys feature as standard equipment to its cars.

 

[chillyWilly]

No, Musk didn't design the car. He stole the company from its founders through stockholder manipulations and such. He's a shrewd businessman not an inventor.

 

[mkhuffman]

Also why I give the bird to any newer Tesla driver. They knew what they were supporting.

A little self control and self reflection would be better.

 

[ChasingCoral]

I don't know how it ever passed the legal team.

Do you mean the same crack legal team that authorizes Elmo to repeatedly make promises on which the company can't possibly deliver?

 

[Kamuelaflyer]

Do you mean the same crack legal team that authorizes Elmo to repeatedly make promises on which the company can't possibly deliver?

The vast majority of Tesla’s legal fees go to outside law firms. You know, those handling the wrongful death lawsuits, contributory negligence claims, appeals from unfavorable verdicts, and handling hearings before what’s left of the federal regulatory framework in the country.

There’s a reason DOGE bit those who have authority over his companies first.

 

[mkhuffman]

Not to disagree with my MME friends (because I love you guys), but I think Mad Max mode is awesome. I am willing to wager a lot of money ($4.00) that it is safer than the average human driver - x10. I doubt the fast speed and fast lane changes are dangerous if the car really knows what is all around it, and is taking into account the risks involved. That is what I do when I drive like a lunatic.

 

[ChrisO]

Not to disagree with my MME friends (because I love you guys), but I think Mad Max mode is awesome. I am willing to wager a lot of money ($4.00) that it is safer than the average human driver - x10. I doubt the fast speed and fast lane changes are dangerous if the car really knows what is all around it, and is taking into account the risks involved. That is what I do when I drive like a lunatic.

I will be the first to admit that I hold this technology to a higher standard than "the average driver".

Maybe my expectations aren't reasonable. But I think the average driver including myself is a pretty low standard. In 2024 almost 40,000 people died on roads in the US alone.

I would also point out something; you can't take this "behavior" in isolation. Let's say all we had was self-driving cars that talked to each other. They could do things that humans can't. They could follow closer, and go faster, because if there is a problem up ahead, they would all know about and brake as one. And not only would they have this extra information that a human might not have, but they also wouldn't "lose attention".

But that isn't where we are at. These cars still have to work in the environment with human drivers.

What happens when a "mad max Tesla" cuts you off and especially if your mind has drifted a bit?

To me the question is sort of like this. "Everybody speeds 10 mph over the limit, so let's change the limit to 10 mph more."

If we can't even enforce the safety laws on a self-driving car, what can we do to improve safety?

 

[mkhuffman]

I will be the first to admit that I hold this technology to a higher standard than "the average driver".

Maybe my expectations aren't reasonable. But I think the average driver including myself is a pretty low standard. In 2024 almost 40,000 people died on roads in the US alone.

I would also point out something; you can't take this "behavior" in isolation. Let's say all we had was self-driving cars that talked to each other. They could do things that humans can't. They could follow closer, and go faster, because if there is a problem up ahead, they would all know about and brake as one. And not only would they have this extra information that a human might not have, but they also wouldn't "lose attention".

But that isn't where we are at. These cars still have to work in the environment with human drivers.

What happens when a "mad max Tesla" cuts you off and especially if your mind has drifted a bit?

To me the question is sort of like this. "Everybody speeds 10 mph over the limit, so let's change the limit to 10 mph more."

If we can't even enforce the safety laws on a self-driving car, what can we do to improve safety?

The "safety laws" are based on human drivers. And maybe we disagree, but there are so many places where the "safety" regulations are so absurdly low, and every single human driver is violating them. Except for grandma. And we love her, of course.

 

[YunniorO]

You know when "autopilot" kept messing up on a curve where the lines weren't painted, on Musk's drive to work, he berated the engineers that told him they needed better sensors

Just for Tesla to turn around and remove all the sensors except the cameras lmfao

 

[ChrisO]

The "safety laws" are based on human drivers. And maybe we disagree, but there are so many places where the "safety" regulations are so absurdly low, and every single human driver is violating them. Except for grandma. And we love her, of course.

Then they should change the laws, not build machines that violate them.

EDIT: But of course, they won't change them, and for that matter Tesla might very well get their way. So, far I haven't seen anything that suggests that the current administration is concerned about anyone's safety. Most likely the "federal investigation" will result in nothing.

I really shouldn't be surprised by all of this. I guess the main reason I feel a bit "uneasy" about this is that I had really hoped that we were going to use tech to get safer roadways instead of just trying to match what we already have and then maybe accidentally get somewhat safer roadways.

Back in the 80s when an "expert system" as "ai" I said that the only way we will get true AI is if we allow it to make mistakes (and expert system was strict instructions based on what an expert said was the right thing to do in a given situation).

Well, here we are.

 

[Mach1E]

In my admittedly limited reading about “Mad Max mode,” I’m failing to understand how this is any different than BC 1.4 or 1.5 from a legal perspective.

Both allow 80+ mph automated lane changes.

Probably the only thing that is attracting attention from “the law” is the stupid name. He should have stuck with Space Balls references.

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